TMNT 2003: Camp-out Chaos
by Clovee93
Summary: The turtles decide to go camping with their friends April and Casey for a couple of days, but with Mikey sick, lack of knowledge in cooking and bad weather coming their way during their trip, things might not go to plan as well as they might think. Inspired by the game Persona 4 Golden-School camping scene. I do not own TMNT 2003 or Persona 4 Golden.
1. Part 1-A Sick Brother

Camp-Out Chaos

_The turtles decide to go camping with their friends April and Casey for a couple of days, but with Mikey sick, a lack of knowledge in cooking and with a chance of wet weather coming their way during their trip, things might not go to plan as well as they might think._

_I do not own TMNT 2003._

_/_

Part 1-A Sick Brother

It was a quiet morning in the lair, and Leo, Raph, and Donnie were in the kitchen preparing their breakfasts. They each had a bowl of cereal with milk but they had different morning drinks; Leo was drinking tea (as usual), Raph was drinking orange juice and Donnie was drinking coffee (like always). After a few more minutes of silence, Raph spoke up with a look of annoyance and frustration.

"Man, I'm sick of eatin' da same thing every day…where's Mikey when we need him!?"

"Raph, he's sick in bed, remember? We found him passed out on the kitchen floor three days ago whilst he was making us breakfast…!" Donnie answered firmly but tiredly before he took another sip of his coffee.

"That's right…How can we forget it, especially when we saw the state of him after we found him…" Leo said in agreement before he thought back to what happened three days ago.

/

_Flashback_

_Leo, Raph, and Donnie were talking with one another whilst they were on their way to the kitchen and dining room._

_"I can't wait to see what Mikey has cooked up for us for breakfast today!" Leo said with an excited smile on his face._

_"Yeah, he told me that he was planning a great breakfast feast since today is our day off from training and we've been through a lot since our mission to bring Master Splinter back home from Cyberspace," Donnie said in agreement whilst also wearing an excited smile._

_"I hear ya, bro! I think we've all earned a lil' reward fa what we've been through…Now, let's hurry before Mikey eats it all!" Raph said with a smirk. But suddenly;_

_BANG! CRASH!_

_The three brothers froze and stopped walking when they heard the sounds of crashing and things landing on the floor echoing from the end of the hallway. They looked at each other with worried looks in their eyes before they ran through the hallway to find out what caused the noise._

_When they reached the kitchen and dining area, their eyes widened in shock from what they saw in front of them; their baby brother Mikey was on the floor with his eyes closed and was breathing abnormally, and the oven was on whilst he was surrounded by cooking utensils and pans that he was using to cook breakfast with._

_"Mikey!" The older turtle brothers shouted out in unison before they ran towards him. Donnie turned off the oven whilst Raph moved the kitchen items away from Mikey as Leo gathered him into his arms before he hissed when he felt Mikey's skin against his own because it was very warm._

_"Donnie, check him over; he's burning up!" Leo called out to his purple-banded brother since he had more knowledge in terms of illnesses and injuries before he watched him come over quickly and placed a hand on his forehead._

_"A fever…Mikey, can you hear me?" Donnie said as he moved his hand from Mikey's forehead to his shoulder._

_Mikey didn't open his eyes or say a word when he heard his purple-banded brother talking to him, and instead, responded by groaning and moving his head slowly towards Leo's plastron before he let out a couple of heavy coughs. _

_"Easy, Mikey…we're here…" Leo said softly as he patted him soothingly on his arm to comfort his sick baby brother before his coughing eased down._

_"Why ain't he talkin'!? What's wrong with him!?" Raph questioned firmly and in a slight panic after he watched his baby brother struggle to respond to Donnie._

_"I'm not sure, yet…Let's get him to the infirmary so that I can give him a proper check-over!" Donnie answered before he and Raph gave Leo some space to stand up and carry Mikey bridal style, and they all headed towards the infirmary to figure out what was ailing their baby brother._

_/_

_Present_

"It wasn't until a few minutes later that Donnie had figured out that Mikey caught the flu…" Leo then said sadly as the memory ended.

"Poor Mikey…I wonder if he kept his symptoms a secret from us when he first started to feel ill before he collapsed that day…" Donnie thought out loud whilst slowly shaking his head.

"Why would he do a crazy thing like dat?" Raph questioned in confusion.

"Maybe he didn't want us to worry about him, or he was afraid that we would see him as a weak and useless ninja if we found out…just a guess…" Leo answered before he held his hands up after he said the last part of his sentence when he saw the shocked expressions on his brothers' faces.

"Well, all I know is that it will take another few days for Mikey to recover from his illness, so all we can do for now is make sure that he's comfortable and well looked after…" Donnie said with a sigh before he and his brothers bowed their heads in thought on what they should do for the rest of today.

_"Hey, guys!"_

The turtles swiftly lifted their heads back up and turned their heads around to find the source of the female voice calling out to them, before they saw two familiar faces behind them; April and Casey!


	2. Part 2-Let's go Camping!

Part 2-Let's go Camping!

"Hi, April! Hi, Casey!" Donnie greeted his human friends first as he gave April a hug and Casey a handshake.

"Hey there, newlyweds!" Raph then said with a smirk because it had been two weeks ago now since April and Casey got married.

"Morning, you two! How nice of you to visit us!" Leo said with a warm smile afterward.

"Haha, it's good to see you, too," April replied with a smile before she saddened. "I'm guessing Mikey is still sick in bed…"

"I'm afraid so, April. He's not as bad as he was a few days ago but he's still not 100% well at the moment…" Donnie answered sadly. The turtles had to inform April and Casey straight away after they found Mikey collapsed that he fell ill since they were planning a day out on that day.

"Man, dat's a bummer…I was hopin' ta see him runnin' round da lair wearin' his cheeky smile by now…" Casey said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I know, but things like this happen and they are beyond our control…" Leo said with a sad smile.

"Well, don't worry; I know what would cheer you all up…a camping trip!" April said before her smile grew bigger as she announced the last part.

The turtles' eyes widened after they heard April's surprise before they looked at each other and then back at the couple as Leo happily spoke first.

"Camping!? That's a great idea!"

"Yeah, we could do with a break from da lair fa a lil' while…" Raph said in agreement.

"It does sound tempting, but what about Mikey? He's the main cook in our family and is still too unwell to be doing a lot right now…" Donnie said with a concerned look on his face.

"Don't worry, Donnie; he can rest in one of the tents and we'll bring some ingredients with us to make light meals for him. Besides, some fresh air will do him some good and help him get better quicker," April reassured him whilst wearing a warm smile.

"You're right, April, and we can take care of making our own meals, Donnie…!" Leo said in agreement with confidence in his voice.

"Yeah, it can't be dat hard ta make food during camping…!" Raph said in agreement with a smirk.

Donnie looked back and forth at Leo and Raph with a nervous and worried look; he and his brothers know deep down that they were not great cooks since every time they tried to make something in the kitchen, they would either get the recipe wrong and make something that looked or tasted horrible or cause the oven or microwave to explode during the process. Then again, they have become too dependent on Mikey in terms of cooking or making meals for them, so he deserved a little break from that, especially when he's not feeling well.

"Ok then, but let's make sure that we have the right ingredients and cooking method for whatever we're making before we go," Donnie said seriously with a sigh before he continued. "I need to go and check on Mikey now, so I'll let him know about the upcoming trip."

"I'll come with you, Donnie; I would like to say 'hi' to him and see how he's doing myself," April said with a warm smile before she followed him towards Mikey's room.

Leo, Raph and Casey watched the pair leave them to head for Mikey's room before they turned to look at each other before Leo spoke.

"Alright, guys, let's start making preparations for our camping trip tomorrow!"

Raph and Casey nodded before they and Leo began their first task; choosing what kind of meals that they would like to cook up at camp and which ingredients are needed to make them.

/

_Mikey's bedroom…_

Donnie slowly and carefully opened the door to Mikey's room and he and April quietly entered inside to see Master Splinter sitting on a chair next to the bed and was watching over Mikey, who was sleeping comfortably for the first time since he first became ill, before he turned to look over at the doorway and smiled warmly when he saw Donnie and April entering the room.

"Hello, Donatello…I see you that you have brought April to see how Michelangelo is doing, correct?" Master Splinter questioned softly.

"Yes, father…April wanted to see how he is whilst I check on him. How has he been, by the way?" Donnie answered before he looked at Mikey when he asked the last question.

"He has been sleeping peacefully since last night, my son, and his fever has gone down slightly as well," Master Splinter said as he looked at Mikey with another warm smile before he stood up from his chair and spoke again. "Is there anything that you wish to tell me before I leave to make some tea, Donatello?"

"Well, April and Casey actually came to visit us to tell us that they would like us to join them on a camping trip this weekend, so I came to see Mikey to not only check on his health but to also tell him about the trip," Donnie answered quietly with April nodding to confirm that it was true.

"Hmm…Very well, it is your decision to do as you wish but I would like to remain here in the lair, if that is alright with you both?" Master Splinter said whilst stroking his beard.

"Oh, okay…it's a shame that you don't want to come with us, Master Splinter, but that's fine with us. Besides, I'll bet that you just want a break from being around a bunch of rowdy ninja turtles, right?" April said in amusement, causing Master Splinter to nod with a chuckle before he began to walk towards the doorway with a 'see you later' to let them be alone with Mikey.

Donnie waved to his father and sensei off as he left before he approached Mikey and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mikey…Wake up, little brother..." He called out to his baby brother softly whilst he gently shook his shoulder to try and wake him up.

"Ngh…Wha…?" Donnie heard Mikey say before he watched as his baby brother slowly opened his eye before he heard him speak again with a small smile and a raspy voice due to tiredness and lack of use. "H-Hey, bro…"

"Good morning, Mikey…I've brought you a visitor…" Donnie replied before he allowed April to come closer.

"Hi, April…!" Mikey replied and his smile grew wider as soon as he saw her.

"Hi there, Mikey…How are you feeling today?" She asked as he placed a hand on his warm head.

"A little better…" Mikey answered before he let out a yawn since he was still half-asleep. Donnie then sat on the edge of the bed and placed a thermometer under Mikey's tongue to take his temperature before he took it out and checked it after it beeped.

"Hmm, he's right; he's not as warm as he was yesterday…Still, it may take another few days for you to be 100% better again, little brother…" Donnie said with a sad smile, causing Mikey to nod in both disappointment and understanding, before Donnie spoke again. "But hey, guess what, Mikey? April and Casey have invited us all to go on a camping trip with them!"

This caused Mikey's face to beam with excitement and he slowly sat himself up before he spoke. "R-Really!? I can come?"

"That's right, Mikey! I know that you're not well enough to do a lot whilst we're outside, but it will help you get better faster with the fresh air around you…" April replied.

"Yeah, but Master Splinter wants to stay home, though. You don't mind that, do you, Mikey?" Donnie then said.

"Not at all, Don…He could do with a break from us - Cough, cough, cough!" Mikey said before he suddenly went into a coughing fit. April and Donnie went into action straight away by sitting him up straighter and gently rubbing and patting his shell-covered back until he started to calm down and worked on catching his breath.

"Are you ok, Mikey?" April asked with a concerned look on her face before she sighed in relief when Mikey nodded to say that he was ok.

"I think we got you a bit too excited, little brother…" Donnie said with a sad smile on his face before he helped April to lay Mikey back down and tuck him in as he continued speaking. "Would you like some more water?"

Mikey looked at his brother with tired eyes and nodded with a small smile before he suddenly thought about something and spoke up.

"By the way, whose gonna be the cook at camp?"

Donnie paused with wide eyes and looked at April, who nodded to encourage him to tell him, before he turned back at Mikey and spoke.

"W-Well, Leo and Raph were thinking about taking on the cooking duties at camp…not exactly sure, yet…"

Mikey's eyes went wide in shock and surprise after he heard what Donnie just said before he developed a small but amused smile before he spoke.

"Man…good luck with that…" He then turned to look at April and spoke again. "April, can I talk to you in private, please?"

April looked at Donnie, who nodded to say she is allowed to talk to him, before she spoke with a warm smile. "Sure, Mikey…Donnie was thinking about getting you some more water, anyways…right, Donnie?"

"Yeah, but once I come back with your water and you have finished speaking with April, you will continue with your rest…ok?" Donnie said in a serious but soft tone, before he watched Mikey nod in understanding and speak to April quietly as he left the room.


	3. Part 3-Preparing for the Camping Trip

Part 3-Preparing for the Camping Trip

After leaving Mikey and April to talk in peace, Donnie reached the kitchen to find Leo and Casey sitting at the dining table discussing and writing down something, to which Donnie believed to be a list of things needed for the camping trip, before he got to the sink and began preparing Mikey's drink of water.

"What should we put in our curry again?" He heard Leo say to Casey.

"Err…carrots, potatoes, onions, chicken, or peppers…?" Casey answered with an unsure look on his face.

"Curry is ok with you, right, Donnie?" Leo asked his purple-banded brother as soon as he noticed him at the corner of his eye.

"Y-Yeah, of course. What made you choose that?" Donnie replied curiously whilst he looked for a suitable cup in the cupboard.

"Well, we were going back and forth between ramen and curry, but I feel that ramen won't be enough to fill us up on our first night of camping. We're also thinking about providing Mikey with tinned soups and fresh fruit since he still can't eat anything heavy due to his condition..." Leo answered as he checked through his list of items in front of him.

"Ok…Where's Raph, by the way?" Donnie questioned when he realised that Raph wasn't with them.

"He's in the garage, checking if our camping gear is still in good condition since our last trip..." Leo answered before he turned his attention back to Casey and continued with their discussion on food.

"Hmm…I wonder what kind of ingredients Raph likes in curry. I've got the feeling that he might be really picky…"

"Well, he's still in da garage…Want me ta go ask him fa ya?" Casey said.

"No, it's fine. Besides, Raph doesn't like to be disturbed when he's busy…" Leo answered as he shook his head.

Casey nodded and studied the food list for a moment before he thought of something and spoke to Leo. "Hmmm…Hey, Leo, ya put potato starch in curry, right…?"

Leo paused and began to think whilst Donnie also stopped at what he was doing, which was filling a hard plastic cup with water, as he listened carefully and nervously to the conversation, before he heard Leo speak again but in an unsure tone.

"O-Of course you do…"

"Otherwise, we can't make da sauce thicken up, so we're gonna need some potato starch, and some flour too..." Casey explained.

"There are different types of flour, though. Which one shall we get? I've heard that whole-wheat flour is healthier than white all-purpose flour…" Leo said.

"Then get whole-wheat flour if it makes ya feel more comfortable. Also…we're gonna need some chilli peppers, cos it ain't curry if it's not spicy…!" Casey replied confidently.

"Alright, then…let's just get the things that seem right. How about some kimchi, too, and maybe some ground pepper?" Leo said.

"I've heard dat there are two types of pepper, though: black and white…" Casey said with a finger under his chin.

"Well, I think we should get both, just in case one or the other doesn't taste great…" Leo decided.

Donnie's eyes widened with worry when he heard the variety of ingredients that were going to be included in the curry, but as he slowly started to walk away from the kitchen with a now full cup of water with a straw in it for Mikey, he overheard Leo and Casey continue their discussion again, meaning that they weren't done yet.

"I also think dat we should add a special ingredient or two ta spice things up!" Casey said.

Leo put a finger under his chin as he thought out loud about the possible special ingredients that they might use.

"Hmmm, I remember seeing something about that on a cooking show that Mikey and I watched one time. I think it was…chocolate…coffee…yoghurt…?"

"Yeah, chocolate! Let's use dat, but with nuts in it cos I love dat stuff and Raph likes chocolate, too!" Casey said excitedly with a gasp.

"Ok, then…I don't drink coffee as much as you, April, Raph, and Donnie do so I'll use some green tea instead. We should also get some seafood since it might help make the sauce taste better…" Leo said as he jotted down more ingredients on the list.

Donnie gasped quietly with widened eyes and his head began to drip with sweat due to feeling worried after he heard the rest of Leo and Casey's discussion, to a point where he nearly dropped Mikey's cup of water when he stopped for a second to regain his senses. However, Leo noticed this and spoke to Donnie from his seat to get his attention.

"Hey, Donnie, you ok over there?"

"O-Oh, yeah…I just tripped a bit and nearly dropped Mikey's drink in the process. Nothing to worry about…!" Donnie replied with a sheepish smile on his face due to feeling a bit embarrassed for not telling him the real reason for his little slip-up.

Leo just nodded in understanding with a smile on his face before he turned back around to continue their discussion on what else they might need for the trip. After letting out a sigh of relief, Donnie continued his walk towards Mikey's bedroom.

Once he entered the room, Donnie saw that Mikey was starting to fall asleep whilst April was writing something down on a notepad, which belonged to Mikey, before he firmly but softly knocked on the open door to get their attention.

"Hey, you two…I hope I haven't interrupted you…" He said softly as he got closer to the bed.

"Not at all, Donnie…we just finished talking…" April replied as she looked up at him with a warm smile after she finished writing something down onto Mikey's notepad.

"What have you been writing, April?" Donnie asked curiously.

"It's a surprise that Mikey is planning, so I can't tell you, Donnie…Sorry…" April answered with an amused smile as she closed the notepad to prevent Donnie from looking at her notes. Donnie just chuckled and nodded in understanding before he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his now sleepy baby brother.

"Here you go, Mikey…" He said as he slowly placed the straw near Mikey's mouth, which opened slightly and accepted the straw before Mikey began to take a few slow but large sips of the water from the cup. A moment later, Mikey released the straw and Donnie placed the half-full cup onto Mikey's bedside table before he tucked his baby brother in with his blanket.

"Rest well, little brother…I'll come back to check on you again later, ok?" He said soothingly before he heard Mikey hum in response as he rubbed Mikey's head gently to lull him to sleep, causing him to fall asleep seconds later.

"Come on, let's go and check on the others…" Donnie then said to April before they both left Mikey's room and gently closed the door to let Mikey sleep in peace once again, and then they made their way towards the kitchen area to go and check on the others' progress.


	4. Part 4-Camping Begins!

Part 4-Camping Begins!

_The next morning…_

It was Friday morning, and the Battle Shell was being prepared for the long trip to their camping location, which the group had decided would be not far from Casey's farmhouse in case the weather changed from sunny to wet at any point during their time there.

Leo and Raph were placing the packed-up tents and bags into the back of the Battle Shell without causing anything to break or leak inside them since a couple of the bags contained food and water that would last them for a few days.

"Ya think we got everythin' we need, bro?" Raph asked.

"Yes, April and Casey will be providing the extra food such as hotdogs and marshmallows, and the cooking equipment for us all to use so we don't need to bring our own..." Leo answered with a nod.

As soon as they finished putting everything in the Battle Shell, Donnie walked in whilst supporting Mikey, who was wrapped up in his blanket since he was still feeling under the weather.

"Hey, Mikey…Did you sleep well?" Leo asked softly to his little brother as he walked over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Mm-hm…Can't wait to go camping, though…" Mikey answered tiredly with a warm smile.

"Well, dat's good ta hear, bro…We were worried dat ya wouldn't be well enough ta join us at one point, but ya sure are tough…!" Raph said in relief before he walked over to Mikey and gave him a gentle rub on his head, causing him to laugh a little bit.

"Yes, but remember; he still needs to take it easy whilst we're out there until he's 100% better, or he'll go right back to square one with his illness…" Donnie said in a serious but caring tone before he continued. "Don't worry, though; I've packed all the necessary first aid supplies for us all, as well as the medicines that Mikey will need to help ease his symptoms and make him feel more comfortable throughout the whole trip."

"Great! Good call, Donnie…" Leo complimented Donnie before he saw Master Splinter enter through the door to see them off.

"Have a safe journey and a good time, my sons…" Master Splinter said with a smile.

"We will, father…" Leo said before Mikey spoke next.

"Look after Klunk for me, ok, Master?"

"I will, Michelangelo…Have fun with your brothers. I am sure that they will look after you whilst you are out there..." Master Splinter replied with a nod.

"Don't worry; we won't let him outta our sights, right guys?" Raph said confidently.

"Right!" Leo and Donnie said in unison before Mikey was guided by Donnie into the Battle Shell after he, Raph, and Donnie waved goodbye to Master Splinter who waved back at them.

"See you in a few days, father!" Leo said before he gave him a gentle hug.

"Farewell, Leonardo…Enjoy yourselves out there!" Master Splinter said as he returned the hug.

Leo broke away from the hug and nodded before he bowed towards his sensei and father and then headed towards the passenger's seat and signaled Raph to start up the Battle Shell. The garage door was opened automatically and the turtles drove off to start their journey towards their chosen camping destination to meet April and Casey there, with Master Splinter waving them off as he watched his sons go before the garage door closed slowly in front of him.

/

_2 hours later…_

The turtles have been traveling on the road towards their camping destination for two hours now and things were not running as smoothly as they thought.

The first hurdle that they had to overcome was trying to get away from a heavy traffic jam that had started to build up as soon as they reached the main road, and it caused Raph to nearly go into a heated rage but Leo was able to calm him down and swap places with him to take over the driving duties.

The next hurdle was making sure that Mikey was ok whilst he was laid on the Battle Shell's medical bed to carry on with his resting. Unfortunately, the bumpy roads made this job difficult as it was causing Mikey to become travel sick but, luckily, Donnie remembered to bring some sick bags with them and he gave them to Mikey as soon as he was about to throw up.

"Ya doin' ok back there, Mike?" Raph asked in concern with a grimaced look on his face as he turned around when he smelt and heard his sick little brother throw up.

"Mmm-hmm…Cough, cough…!" Mikey managed to say before he spat any leftover vomit from his mouth into the sick bag, with Donnie rubbing his arm to comfort him as he spoke.

"Why don't we sit you up, instead? You might have a lesser chance of getting sick again sitting up than laying down…"

Mikey nodded before he was slowly helped up and onto a sitting position by Donnie who sat down next to him and allowed him to lean his body against his own to keep him upright and let his head rest on his shoulder with a groan.

"Don't worry, Mikey; we'll be at our destination soon. It's not much further now…" Leo said soothingly from his driver's seat as he took a quick glance at Mikey through the viewing window before he went back to focusing on driving.

Soon, the turtles reached their camping site, which was on a grassland not far from Casey's farmhouse and close to the forest and river. They then spotted April and Casey, who were standing next to their now fully built tent and waved at them as soon as they saw the turtles coming towards them in the Battle Shell.

Once the Battle Shell was parked at a suitable spot next to the camping site, the turtles got out with Donnie supporting Mikey as he slowly stepped out of the back, and began to unload their camping supplies from the back of the vehicle.

"Here, Mikey, you can rest in our tent until your own tent has been put up…" April said sweetly as she helped Donnie to guide him towards and into her tent, which was a double-sized tent that she would be sharing with Casey during their time at camp, to settle him in before she and Donnie left to help the others with setting up the rest of the camping gear.

"How was Mikey during the trip over here?" April asked the turtles after a moment of silence during their setting up of the camping equipment.

"Not too great; he threw his lunch back up in da back of da Battle Shell…I was tryin' ta not throw up myself when da smell started ta spread around us…" Raph answered with a grimace and a wrinkled nose over the memory from earlier.

"Well, when you're sick it doesn't help much when you're traveling on a bumpy road…" Leo said with a sigh.

"Oh, poor guy…I hope he feels better before dinner later…!" April said sadly.

"Don't worry, April; I'm sure that Mikey's stomach will settle down by the time dinner is ready…" Donnie said with a reassuring smile, causing April to smile back.

"Hey! Are ya gonna help me with da rest of da unpackin' or what!?" Casey suddenly yelled out to the group.

"Ok, ok, we're comin'…! Just keep ya voice down or ya gonna wake Mikey up, ya bonehead!" Raph countered back firmly before he and the others, who were laughing at the way Raph and Casey were shouting at each other as they walked over to Casey to carry on with the unpacking.

It took them over an hour, but they eventually finished putting up the turtles' tents and setting up the cooking equipment. After the group took a step back from their achievements, Leo spoke with an excited smile on his face.

"Alright, let the camping begin!"

Everyone cheered to Leo's words, but in a quiet tone since Mikey was still sleeping in April and Casey's tent before they all started to make preparations for dinner.


	5. Part 5-Dinner Disaster

Part 5-Dinner Disaster

_Late afternoon..._

After Mikey was gently transferred from April and Casey's tent to one of the turtles' two tents, which Donnie would be sharing with him whilst their older brothers share the other, the group began to make dinner since the sun was starting to set.

Since she was the only woman in the group, April was allowed to cook her dinner first before the boys. Not long after that, the boys discussed who should prepare their dinner, which was curry, and they decided that Leo and Casey would do it whilst Donnie and Raph just sat and waited where the fire was lit. As they waited, Raph decided to start a conversation with Donnie to pass the time.

"Man, it's a shame dat Mikey still ain't feelin' well enough ta join us at dinner on our first night of camp…He would have loved it!"

"Mmm, I know…but it can't be helped, and you saw the state that he was in whilst we were on our way down here…I doubt that Mikey would want to risk eating with us whilst his stomach was still doing back-flips on him…" Donnie replied with a sigh.

"Yeah, I get dat…but hey, it'll pass and he'll be beggin' fa food in no time!" Raph said confidently to try and lighten the mood, which had worked because Donnie smiled and chuckled at his immediate older brother's words.

"Speakin' of dinner, it's almost time fa ours…Man, I'm starvin'! Even though I don't expect much outta both Leo and Casey, I'm sure dat they will make somethin' dat is at least a bit edible…" Raph said in an excited tone since he was looking forward to it all day.

"Err…y-yeah…I don't think you should eat it, though…" Donnie said with a bad feeling in his stomach due to knowing what was going to happen as soon as Raph tries the food, especially with the odd mix of ingredients that were going to be put in it.

"Oh, shell no! I ain't fallin' fa dat…! Ya just sayin' dat so dat ya can have it all ta yourself, huh? I can't wait ta dig in!" Raph said with a smirk, leaving Donnie with nothing more to say since there was nothing that he could do to try and persuade his red-banded brother to not eat the nearly-prepared food.

Speaking of which, Leo and Casey had just finished adding the last ingredient into the curry mix before Leo started to slowly stir it to combine it all together. However, the mixture began to curdle and split before it released a smell that was so awful that it was difficult for them to describe it. Both he and Casey noticed this and looked at each other with grimaced looks on their faces.

"Err…should we…taste this?" Leo said worryingly.

"Huh!? O-Only if you do it first, man…!" Casey answered as he looked at Leo with wide eyes and sweat dripping from his forehead.

They both looked at the bubbling mess, then looked at each other again and nodded firmly before they began to fill the first two plates, which were for Donnie and Raph, with the gruesome food and some rice on the side. They then walked over towards where the two younger brothers were sat at a slow pace.

"Oh, man…Here it comes, Donnie!" Raph said excitedly as he rubbed his hands together when he saw the steaming food approach him and his purple-banded brother, who remained quiet and looked at the incoming food with a nervous expression on his face.

"Err…sorry fa da wait…erm…" Casey said awkwardly as he and Leo handed Raph and Donnie their plates.

Casey and Leo looked at each other with an unsure look on their faces as they did not know what to say about the food, causing the two younger brothers to develop confused looks on their face, but a moment later, Leo started to speak in the same tone as to how Casey spoke seconds ago.

"W-We've put a lot of brotherly love into it…!"

"Huh…Well, dat sounded a little cliché, but still awesome…! Ok then, chow time!" Raph said as he shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed his fork and took his first mouthful of the food. Suddenly, Raph froze and his eyes widened as soon as he tasted the food before his face grimaced in disgust.

"Mmph…Ugh…Ack…PFFFFFFT!" He choked and spat out the food raspberry-style before he coughed and collapsed to the side, causing Donnie as well as Leo and Casey to look on in shock and surprise with wide eyes.

"Err…Hey…?" Casey called out to Raph in a concerned tone before he watched as Raph sat back up and turned to look at him and Leo with a ticked-off look on his face.

"WHAT DA SHELL IS DIS!?" He yelled out angrily before he stood up to confront them face-to-face and continue with his complaint whilst he tried to get what's left of the food out of his mouth.

"How can ya-Ugh…cough…! Curry is supposed ta be like 'really spicy' or 'kinda mild'…dis just, STINKS! A-And it's gritty too…ugh…! Somehow it's both gritty _and_ slimy and it's got…squishy parts in it…! It's so frickin' nasty I can't even swallow it!"

"Well, it just didn't mix too well…but it _does _offer a wide variety of textures and flavours…!" Leo said to try and be more positive about how the food tasted, but Raph was having none of it.

"It's nauseatin'!" He shouted.

"Oh, come on…it's not _that _bad, man…! Besides, that's just _your _opinion!" Casey said firmly to support Leo before they both looked over at Donnie, who looked at them with a surprised and scared look on his face, knowing what they wanted him to do. Raph also looked at Donnie before he spoke out a warning to him.

"Donnie…I'm tellin' ya as your brother…Don't. Eat it! I wouldn't even joke about tryin' dat slop…!"

Donnie looked from Raph to his food to Leo and Casey, and then he looked at his food again before he turned back to Raph with a sheepish smile on his face.

"W-Well, I guess I'll try a tiny bit…since they have made an effort to cook for us…" He said before he grabbed his fork and took his first mouthful of the curry. A moment later, Donnie froze and his eyes widened when he tasted it before his face grimaced in disgust.

"PFFFFFFFFFFT!" He spat out his food raspberry-style before he collapsed to the side, causing Raph, Leo, and Casey to look at Donnie in shock and surprise.

A moment after Donnie regained his senses and stood back up, he and Raph firmly scolded Leo and Casey for using the wrong ingredients and for not bothering to follow a recipe, causing Leo and Casey to look down in shame and embarrassment.

"Oh…we're sorry…" Leo sadly apologised first.

"Yeah, sorry…" Casey apologised next without making eye contact with Raph and Donnie.

"What are we gonna do now? We're da only ones without any dinner! I mean if it was slightly edible, dat'll be one thing, but I am not takin' another bite of dat 'Mystery Food X'!" Raph said in frustration.

The boys looked down in annoyance before Donnie noticed a delicious smell lingering in the air.

"Sniff, sniff…Ah, something smells good!" He said with brightened eyes as he turned around to find the source of the smell.

His brothers and Casey followed his lead, and they soon spotted April stirring something in a saucepan on another camp cooking stove.

"Hey, April!" Watcha cookin' over there? Can we have some of it please, cos we're starvin' ta death over here!" Casey shouted out to get April's attention and to try and persuade her to share whatever she was cooking with them.

"Oh, err…Sorry, guys…but I'm cooking some tomato soup for Mikey, and there's only enough for one person…" April replied before she carried on with her cooking.

"For one person…? That saucepan looks big enough to feed an entire camp…" Leo said quietly when he double-checked the size of the saucepan.

"Great…is there anythin' else we can make dinner with?" Raph questioned with a grumble.

"Raph, we only have enough food to last us through the whole trip, which is three nights and four days…so we can't use up any more food tonight!" Donnie answered firmly.

"You're right, Donnie…And our shell cells don't get service out here, so we can't get anything delivered here…" Leo said whilst he checked his shell cell for any signal, which showed no bars.

"Well, I guess dat means no dinner fa us tonight…" Casey said with a sigh.

"Grr…You two are gonna pay fa dis!" Raph said to Leo and Casey with a growl, causing the two to look down with sheepish and nervous looks.

"Ah, haha…ha, ha, ha, ha…Err…G'night…" Casey said awkwardly before he went to grab a couple of beer cans and quickly headed towards his and April's tent to get ready for bed.

This left Raph even more frustrated before he, Donnie, and a guilt-ridden Leo decided to head towards their own tents to get ready for bed as well as check on how Mikey was doing, unaware that April was smiling as she knew that Mikey's surprise was about to be revealed as soon as they got together in his and Donnie's tent.


	6. Part 6-Mikey's Surprise and Bedtime

Part 6-Mikey's Surprise and Bedtime

The three older turtles gathered inside the tent that Mikey was resting in to spend some time with him before bedtime.

Donnie checked the now awake Mikey's temperature, which was found to be the same as it was since this morning, and then he heard Mikey start to talk to him and his brothers with a small but amused smile on his face.

"Erm...I'm guessing that…dinner didn't go so well…?"

After he said that, the sounds of rumbling and growling could be heard from the three older brothers' stomachs and they looked down with miserable faces before Raph spoke up with a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah, Leo and Casey messed it up…Almost killed Donnie and me due ta how bad it was…!"

"W-We've already told you that we're sorry, Raph…! It was our first time making it, after all!" Leo said defensively with his hands held up.

"Whatever…" Raph said with a gruff as he looked away from Leo.

"Oh…so, that's what all the shouting and yelling was about…" Mikey said curiously, causing the three older brothers to look at him with wide eyes before Donnie spoke first.

"Did we wake you up earlier, Mikey?"

"Err, y-yeah…" Mikey answered shyly.

"Ah, man…I'm sorry, bro…" Raph said guiltily since his loud yelling had woken up his baby brother who was trying to get better through rest.

"I'm sorry too, Mikey…it was my fault that things got heated out there earlier…" Leo said miserably.

"Hey, it's ok…besides, I wanted to know how dinner went anyway since you guys are clueless when it comes to knowing how to cook properly…heh, heh!" Mikey said with a smile of understanding before he laughed a bit after finding out the outcome of tonight's dinner.

"Ha, ha…you're one cheeky little turtle, you know that?" Donnie laughed whilst he gently rubbed his baby brother's head, causing him to giggle in the process.

"Yeah, so don't make me come over there and tickle ya, chucklehead!" Raph said with a smirk, causing Mikey to hide his head under his sleeping bag for a moment.

"I wouldn't mind joining you on that, Raph…ha, ha! But seriously, though, we really miss your cooking, Mikey…I hope you get better soon before our trip ends…" Leo said with a sad smile as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Thanks, Leo…I definitely need to teach you guys how to cook sometime, huh…" Mikey replied with a warmer smile before he spoke again. "By the way, you should take a look in that bag behind Donnie; there's a little surprise for you all…"

The three older brothers looked at each other before they looked at the rectangle-shaped bag behind where Donnie was sitting. Since he was the closest to it, Donnie grabbed the bag and put it in the middle of where they were sitting before he opened it.

When the three older brothers looked inside, their eyes widened; three different coloured boxes were found inside the bag, and the colours were blue, red, and purple which meant that they represented each of their mask colours, so they took out their respective coloured boxes and looked at them.

"What's in these boxes, Mikey?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Open them and see…" Mikey answered with excitement in his heart as he watched his brothers begin to open their boxes.

Once they opened them, the three older brothers gasped and their eyes widened even more at what they found inside; each box contained a variety of different foods, both savoury and sweet!

"This is…a boxed lunch!?" Donnie said in shock.

"More like a boxed _dinner_! It's got a few slices of my favourite pizza inside and a piece of chocolate cake too!" Raph said in delight as he looked at his food box with gleaming eyes.

"Yeah, and mine has three rice balls, a small pot of ramen, and a fruit salad! What have you got, Donnie?" Leo said joyfully as he looked over at Donnie when he asked the last question.

"I've got some rice balls and a fruit salad too, but I've also got a pot of spaghetti with small meatballs!" Donnie answered with a joyful smile on his face before he, Leo, and Raph looked at Mikey as he spoke again. "So, this was what you and April were up to when you wanted to speak to her in private…Did you plan this surprise cos you predicted that this would happen, Mikey?"

"Well, I had a feeling that…dinner wouldn't turn out great tonight…so I asked April to help me put together some boxed lunch-style meals that had your favourite foods in, hence the list that she was writing when you walked in, Donnie…" Mikey answered tiredly with a sheepish but happy smile on his face.

"Wow…thanks, Mikey…!" Leo said after a moment of silence before he held and squeezed his baby brother's hand in thanks.

"Yeah…thanks, bro!" "Thank you, little brother!" Raph and Donnie said to their baby brother before they patted him gently on his shoulder or head, causing him to blush and smile even more.

Just as the three older brothers were about to tuck into their food, a tapping sound was heard from the front of their tent. Leo, who was closest to the tent's entrance, opened it to reveal April in front of them holding a bowl of warm soup.

"Hey, guys…! I've brought some soup for Mikey. Is he still awake?" She said with a warm smile.

"Hi, April…Perfect timing; we were just about to have our boxed meals, and yeah he's awake..." Leo replied before he allowed April in to pass Mikey, who had sat up with help from Donnie, the bowl of warm tomato soup.

"Here you go, Mikey…be careful, it's still hot..." April said softly.

"I will…Thanks, April…" Mikey said as he carefully held the bowl in his lap that was covered by his sleeping bag.

"I see that you have found your surprise…" April then said when she saw the now opened boxes in the older turtles' hands.

"Yeah, and we could tell that they were made with a lot of effort put into them…thanks, April…!" Donnie said with a grateful smile on his face before Raph and Leo said their thanks too.

"No problem, guys…it was all Mikey's idea, really…" April said as she looked at Mikey who was still blushing.

"Yeah, we know..." Raph said with a smirk.

"Well, I'll leave you all to enjoy your meals…Goodnight, guys!" April said as she waved goodbye and left the tent.

"Goodnight, April!" the turtle brothers said in unison as they watched her leave the tent altogether before they began to tuck into their food.

/

_20 minutes later…_

The turtle brothers' stomachs were happily filled with delicious food and Mikey was able to eat most of his soup before he felt full and started to feel sleepy. Donnie gave Mikey some medicine to help reduce his symptoms and help him sleep during the night before he tucked him into his sleeping bag.

"Goodnight, Mikey…See you in the morning..." Leo said softly before he gave him a goodnight kiss on his warm forehead.

"Goodnight, lil' bro…thanks again fa da meal…" Raph said next before he gently rubbed his baby brother's head affectionately.

"G'night, bros…" Mikey replied back tiredly as he watched them leave his and Donnie's tent to go and sleep inside their own. Donnie then closed the entrance and moved over to Mikey before he spoke with a warm smile.

"Goodnight, Mikey…"

"G'night, Don…" Mikey replied in a slur before he let out a yawn and fell asleep instantly. Donnie looked on with his smile still on his face for a moment until he decided to move towards his own sleeping bag and went inside it before he fell asleep seconds later.

/

_Later on in the night…_

"SSSNNNOOOORRRE…SSSNNNOOOOORRRE…!"

Loud sounds of a snoring turtle could be heard from within Leo and Raph's tent, and they were coming from the red-banded turtle.

"You have got to be kidding me…!" Leo said tiredly and in annoyance as he tried to block out the noise by placing his pillow over his ears, but the snoring could still be heard through it.

"SSSNNNOOOORRRE...SSSNNNOOORRRE...!"

"Urgh…Now I get how Mikey felt when he slept in and shared his room with him a few years back…" Leo then said as he sat up and looked at Raph with a frustrated look.

With Raph's snoring showing no signs of quieting down, Leo decided to leave the tent with his pillow and an extra blanket to find a quieter to place to sleep. As soon as he left the tent, Leo spotted April doing the same thing, which was leaving her and Casey's tent with a pillow and blanket whilst wearing an annoyed look on her face.

"Hey, April…!" Leo called out quietly towards his female friend who jumped slightly and looked over to see Leo waving at her in the dark, so she walked over to him before she heard him speak again.

"Let me guess; can't sleep due to a noisy neighbour?"

"Yeah, it's hard to sleep when you've got someone who has beer breath and snores like a train sleeping next to you…!" April answered with a tired sigh as she rubbed her eyes.

"Mmm, same here…" Leo said whilst shaking his head.

"Do you think there's enough room in Donnie and Mikey's tent for us to spend the night?" April thought out loud when she looked over to the tent next to Leo's.

"I don't know, April…the last thing I want to do is upset Donnie if we disturb a sick Mikey…!" Leo answered with an unsure look on his face.

"I'm sure he'll understand. Come on…" April said before she walked over towards Donnie and Mikey's tent, with Leo reluctantly following her from behind.

April lightly tapped on the front of the tent and waited for a response. After a minute with no sounds coming from inside, she tapped on it again but slightly harder this time before she and Leo heard small movement coming from inside the tent. Then, the door opened and a tired-looking Donatello revealed himself.

"April…? Leo…? Wha's wrong?" He questioned sleepily.

"Hey, Donnie, sorry to wake you up but do you have any room for two more in your tent?" April asked quietly to avoid waking up Mikey who could be heard sleeping away next to Donnie's sleeping bag.

"Why? What's-"

Boom! Crackle! Crash!

Donnie was suddenly cut off by the loud sounds of thunder in the dark night sky before the first few drops of rain began to fall on top of the tents and on April and Leo.

"Uh, oh…" Leo said as he felt the first few raindrops land on his head and shoulders.

"That's strange...the weather forecast didn't predict a thunderstorm to appear during the weekend…" April said as she held a hand out to feel the raindrops herself.

"Alright…hurry up and get in you two…just don't wake up Mikey when you enter!" Donnie said with a sigh as he moved aside to allow April and Leo to crawl into his and Mikey's tent before he closed the entrance and turned to look at the pair and spoke in a whisper with a questioning look.

"So, might I ask why you two are here of all places?"

"Well, let's just say that we've got a sleeping train in each of our tents…" April answered.

"Huh?" Donnie said with a confused look on his face.

"In other words, we can't sleep with loud snorers next to us…" Leo specified with a sigh.

"Oh…Well, at least our tents are just big enough for four people, and they're also waterproof too..." Donnie pointed out.

"That _is _good to hear, but I can't believe that it's raining when the weather forecast didn't say anything about it yesterday…!" April said in relief before she grumbled a bit loudly about the lack of accuracy in the weather forecast.

"Shhh!" Leo and Donnie shushed April in unison to tell her to keep her voice down due to the risk of waking Mikey up.

Luckily, Mikey just hummed and groaned in his sleep before he turned his body to the left in his sleeping bag and continued to sleep peacefully.

"I think we should go back to sleep, now…" Donnie said firmly as he looked back at Leo and April, who nodded and settled into their chosen places whilst Donnie went back into his sleeping bag before they all fell asleep despite the continuous downpour going on outside.


	7. Part 7-A Walk in the Forest

Part 7-A Walk in the Forest

The storm continued on until the sun began to rise as morning approached. Leo was the first to leave the tent and he stretched his body with a yawn after he had a better night's sleep since he moved from his and Raph's tent to Donnie and Mikey's tent last night despite the compact space inside.

A moment later, April came out of the tent and did the same thing as Leo before she spoke with a smile.

"Morning, Leo. Did you sleep ok?"

"Morning, April…Yeah, better than when I was sleeping with a snoring Raph in my tent…How about you?" Leo answered with a smile of his own.

"Same…It's a good thing that we're up first before everyone else because Casey and Raph don't know that we switched tents…" April replied in a soft but clear whisper before she giggled when she said the last part of her sentence.

"Yeah, haha!" Leo said quietly with a laugh before he and April began to walk towards the camp's cooking area to start making breakfast.

As they walked, however, they immediately noticed that the grass-covered ground was very wet due to last night's storm, and when they looked at the cooker they saw that it was flooded so they tipped the water out and poured some more coal in it before heating it up.

Whilst they were doing this, Donnie came out of his tent wearing a purple and black-coloured jacket.

"Morning, guys…" Donnie said with a yawn as he stretched his body.

"Morning, Don…Nice jacket!" Leo replied before he pointed at the jacket.

"Thanks…I found it at the bottom of my bag and it had a note attached to it saying that it was from April…" Donnie replied before he said, "Thank you", to April.

"Morning, Donnie…and your welcome…I thought that you and Mikey could do with something warm to wear in case it got cold during our trip. I've also got one for you and Raph too, Leo; they're in your bags!" April said as she looked up from the cooker.

"Oh, thank you, April. How's Mikey, by the way, Donnie? Is he still asleep?" Leo then said when he noticed that Mikey wasn't with Donnie.

"Yeah, he's fine. I just checked Mikey's temperature as soon as we were both awake and it has gone down a bit more, but he's still not 100% well enough to do a lot right now. He's having another few minutes' sleep at the moment..." Donnie explained in his 'Doctor Don' voice.

"That's good…I'm sure it won't be too long before he's completely better…!" Leo said in relief.

"I agree…To be on the safe side, though, I'll prepare some chopped fruit for Mikey's breakfast..." April said with a warm smile.

"Thanks, April…" Donnie thanked his friend with a nod before he looked at Leo. "Do you need a hand with anything?"

"I think we're ok with making the breakfasts at the moment, Don. I do need a hand with finding more firewood for later cos what we have now has gone completely soaked from the rain..." Leo answered as he looked at the waterlogged firewood.

"Sure thing, Leo…Let me go and see if Mikey is awake first before we go..." Donnie said before he turned and walked back to his tent to go check on Mikey.

A few minutes later, Donnie came out with Mikey who was wearing an orange and black-coloured jacket. Leo noticed his younger brothers coming over to them whilst he was helping April with getting the ingredients ready for breakfast as he waited for Donnie to come back.

"Good morning, Mikey…How are you feeling?" He said with a warm smile.

"Morning, Leo…I'm doing a little better, and Donnie surprised me when I woke up by handing me this new jacket from my bag and told me that April got it for me...!" Mikey replied with a tired smile before he looked at April as soon as she finished setting up the cooker and spoke again.

"Thanks for this cool jacket, April!"

"Morning, Mikey…and your welcome. Your breakfast is nearly ready…" April replied with a smile before she continued chopping and slicing fruit for Mikey's breakfast.

"Cool…I am getting a bit hungry…!" Mikey said as he rubbed his stomach.

"Well, that's good…! That must mean that you're getting better if you're appetite's coming back…" Leo said happily as he approached his baby brother and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, but you still need to take it easy and have light meals for now until all your symptoms of the flu are completely gone…" Donnie pointed out softly with a sad but warm smile.

"I know, Donnie, I know…I'll be careful…" Mikey said with a sigh whilst nodding his head.

"Don't worry, Mikey; we'll do something fun like play a game later on…would you like that?" Leo said whilst giving Mikey's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Mikey's face beamed before he nodded with a "Yeah!" before he was guided to one of the camping seats by Donnie when April signalled them to say that Mikey's breakfast was ready and then gave him the plate of chopped fruit.

"Ok, Mikey; Leo and I need to go into the forest to find more firewood since our current supply has been completely waterlogged by the storm from last night…stay here with April and the others until we come back, ok?" Donnie said in a serious but soft tone.

"Sure thing, Donnie…I'll also make sure that Raph and Casey don't kill each other during breakfast, especially since yesterday's dinner didn't go so well…" Mikey responded with a cheeky smile, causing April, Donnie, and Leo to chuckle.

"Thanks, Mikey…See you in a bit!" Leo said as he rubbed his baby brother's head before he began his walk towards the forest, with Donnie following him from behind after he waved goodbye to Mikey and April who waved back at him.

/

_In the forest…_

Leo and Donnie walked into the forest at a slow and steady pace since the ground was wet and slippery with loose mud, whilst at the same time, they listened in silence at the sounds of birdsong and the raindrops dripping musically from the leaves, causing them to smile.

"Wow…despite the storm that we had last night, the sounds in the forest are really relaxing for the soul…what do you think, Donnie?" Leo said in a relaxed tone as he turned to look at his purple-banded brother.

"You got a point, Leo; it's amazing…! Mikey would have loved this if he wasn't still unwell…" Donnie answered with a sad but warm smile.

"I know, bro…but he did look a lot better than he was yesterday when he came out for breakfast this morning, so I'm sure that we'll be able to take him here before we go home...!" Leo replied as he wrapped an arm around his purple-banded brother's shoulders in comfort, with Donnie nodding in agreement.

A few minutes later, the brothers came across an area in the forest where it was drier than the rest, and on the ground, they found branches and logs that were suitable to be used as firewood for the camp.

"Perfect! This amount of wood will last us through the whole trip as long as we keep them dry from future storms!" Donnie said with a more cheerful smile.

"You're right, Donnie…Come on, let's gather them up and head back to the camp before Mikey and the others get worried..." Leo said in agreement before he and Donnie walked over the pile and started picking them up until they each got a big bundle of wood in their arms.

As they were about to leave, however, they suddenly heard voices coming from the left side of the forest, which caused Donnie's eyes to widen in surprise as he immediately recognised them.

"Is that…?" He whispered to himself before he slowly and quietly walked over to where the voices were coming from.

"Donnie, what is it?" Leo asked his purple-banded brother quietly as he followed him and leaned against one of the trees to stay hidden.

Before he could answer his brother's question, Donnie looked over at the scene that was further from his hiding place and his eyes suddenly widened; there were a group of men that were from the same anti-alien group that was created by a man named Skunk, who was currently still in jail since Donnie couldn't find him in the group. Judging by the looks on their faces and the amount of talking going on, it seemed that they were planning something.

"Them again!?" He hissed quietly to avoid being detected.

"Them?" Leo questioned with a confused look before he looked over at the group himself and then spoke again when a theory came into his head. "Wait, are they the guys you and the others told me about a few years back? This anti-alien group?"

"Yeah…I thought that they were done and disbanded a long time ago when their leader was arrested!" Donnie replied in frustration.

"Well, let's get back to the camp before they notice us…We need to let the others know about this, anyway..." Leo whispered calmly before he and Donnie quietly left their position and headed back to their camp using the same path that they used to get into the forest.


	8. Part 8-Quarrel at Camp

Part 8-Quarrel at Camp

Leo and Donnie exited the forest altogether and were walking towards the camp when they noticed that Raph and Casey were now awake and standing near Mikey and April, who were sitting around the cooker and having drinks after they finished their breakfasts. However, when they got closer, the two brothers saw that Raph and Casey were quarrelling with each other over something so they listened in to find out what the fuss was about.

"Do ya really think dat I would trust _you _to cook our breakfast after what happened yesterday at dinner!?" Raph shouted as he got close to Casey's face.

"I already told ya dat dinner last night was an accident, Raph! Besides, Leo also messed it up too, ya know…!" Casey countered back firmly.

"Well, ya shouldn't have tagged teamed with him since both of ya are bad at cookin'!" Raph then said in annoyance.

"Oh, and you're any better than us!?" Casey said as he pointed his finger at Raph in frustration.

"At least I don't try ta kill my bros when I try ta cook!" Raph answered back as he slapped Casey's hand away from him.

April and Mikey have watched the two arguing since Casey suggested that he would cook is and Raph's breakfast and they looked from Raph to Casey and vice versa as if they were watching a tennis match whilst they shouted at one another.

Soon, Mikey sighed as he was starting to get tired of watching and listening to the argument, especially since he was still under the weather before he spoke up in a firm but caring tone.

"Guys, stop! Look, I'd be happy to cook you guys breakfast, so will you please just-"

"Shut up!" Raph and Casey yelled out in unison to cut Mikey off, causing him to flinch and back away slightly before Raph spoke again.

"There is no way I'm lettin' you cook in da condition you're in and I definitely don't want your germs in my food dat will make me sick too, so stay out of dis, Mikey!"

"Yeah, da last thing we want is fa all of us ta get sick and have our trip ruined cos of you, so back off!" Casey said firmly to back up Raph's words.

This caused Mikey to gasp and look at Raph and Casey with wide and tear-filled eyes before he looked down as he began to sob. April saw this and got closer to Mikey to give him a sideways hug and whispered comforting words to him to try and calm him down, especially since his condition might get worse if he cried for too long.

Seeing this and with rage slowly boiling in his blood, Donnie dropped his set of logs and walked towards the two hotheads with an angry look on his face.

"What the shell is wrong with you two!? How dare you yell at Mikey when he's still too ill to defend himself!" He shouted as soon as he was close enough to Raph and Casey.

"Yeah, Mikey only wanted to help you with breakfast despite his illness and you just scolded him for it! You should be ashamed of yourselves!" April said firmly to back up Donnie's words whilst she rubbed Mikey's back to soothe him since he was still crying.

Raph and Casey took a moment to calm themselves down before they looked from Donnie to Mikey in April's arms before reality sunk in and their angry faces softened when they realised what they've done to the youngest turtle.

"Oh, shell…" "Oh, man…" They said as they looked down in shame and guilt before they saw Leo walk over to Mikey after putting his logs down and gently took him into his own arms from April after thanking her for doing her bit to calm his baby brother down.

"Shhh…Shhh…it's alright, Mikey…calm down…you did nothing wrong, ok?" He said soothingly to his brother as he rocked him gently before he heard Mikey say something in a quiet tone.

"I-I'm sorry…I-I failed to…k-keep them from f-fighting…sniff…I-I was only…t-trying to…help e-everyone…"

"Hey…you haven't failed, Mikey…It was very kind of you to volunteer in making breakfast for us, but you're still recovering from your illness and the last thing we want is for you to collapse on us again…" Leo said softly as he rubbed Mikey's shell-covered back to comfort him.

"Leo's right, little brother; we don't want you to have a relapse in your illness and pass out on us like you did when we first found you sick…" Donnie said in defence of Leo's words as he knelt down to Mikey's level and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, geez…I think your fever has risen slightly…let's get you to bed, bro…" he then said with a frustrated sigh before he helped a sniffling Mikey stand up and guide him to their tent to rest. Before he left, however, Donnie turned to Raph and Casey with a stern look and spoke in a firm tone.

"You two and I are going to have a little talk when I'm done tending to Mikey, and you better have a proper apology ready for him by the time he is up and about again…!" He then turned and took his baby brother towards their tent and helped him inside.

"Nice going, you two; Mikey's fever has gone back up again because of your anger, especially when it was only about something less important like getting _your _breakfast made!" Leo said firmly to the two hotheads who still had shameful and guilt-filled looks on their faces.

"Alright, Alright! We get it, bro…We didn't mean ta hurt him like dat…!" Raph said as he placed a hand on his forehead and sighed in frustration for what he did to his sick baby brother.

"Yeah, did ya see da way he looked at us before he cried? He was scared of us, man…!" Casey said with guilt and regret in his voice.

"Well, that's what happens when you guys let your anger get the better of you…" Leo said as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Look, _I _will make your breakfasts whilst you guys take a moment to calm down and come up with a proper apology for Mikey…alright?" April said with a sigh before she went to work with cooking the boys' breakfast.

Leo watched as Raph and Casey looked at each other and apologised to each other before they shook hands and walked over to where the river was to cool off and think about how they should apologise to Mikey once he was back on his feet again. He then began to walk towards Donnie and Mikey's tent to see how Mikey was doing.

_Meanwhile, in Donnie and Mikey's tent…_

"I-I'm sorry, Don…I-I've made my sickness worse…!" Mikey said tearfully.

"No, Mikey, none of this was your fault, ok? You didn't expect Raph and Casey to blow up in your face like that…you were just trying to help them and that's a part of who you are…" Donnie said firmly but softly to his baby brother before he spoke again to tell him about what he and Leo saw in the forest.

"Listen, Mikey; Leo and I saw that anti-alien group that we came across a few years ago, and it seems that they're back together but without their leader."

"R-Really!? Are you serious!?" Mikey said with a gasp after hearing that before he saw Donnie nod at him as he spoke again.

"Yeah, so we will have to stay out of the forest until we know that it is safe for us to go back in. Do you understand, Mikey?" Donnie watched as Mikey nodded to say that he understood before he smiled warmly when he saw his baby brother stifle a yawn.

With that in mind, Donnie laid a tired and warm Mikey down on his sleeping bag and tucked him in before he reached for his bag and took out his thermometer before he placed it in Mikey's mouth to take his temperature after finding out that his fever had spiked slightly. After a minute of waiting, Donnie took out the thermometer out of Mikey's mouth and looked at the results.

"Hmmm…I was right, Mikey; your fever has gone back up, but only by a couple of degrees…" He said with a sigh before he noticed that Mikey was struggling to stay awake whilst still trying but failing to stop crying, so he gently rubbed Mikey's head to help soothe him to sleep before he spoke again but in a softer tone.

"It's ok, Mikey…don't worry; everything will be alright by the time you wake up again…sleep now, little brother…"

Mikey looked at his immediate older brother, who was looking at him with a warm smile on his face, before he nodded slightly, slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep instantly.

Then, a tapping sound was heard from the tent's doorway behind Donnie before the door opened to reveal Leo who wanted to check on his little brothers, especially Mikey.

"How is he, Donnie?" Leo asked quietly with a hint of concern in his voice.

"A bit warmer than before, but only slightly…After some rest, he should be alright…" Donnie answered calmly as he turned to look at Leo.

"That's good to hear…did you tell him about the return of that anti-alien group in the forest?" Leo then asked with a slightly more serious tone in his voice.

"Yeah; he was shocked about it but he understood that we need to stay away from the forest until further notice…" Donnie replied with a disappointed sigh because he wanted to bring Mikey with him for when they go back into the forest for a nice walk.

"Don't worry, Don; we won't let those goons ruin our time here…but for now, let's focus on making sure Mikey gets better before we go home. We don't want him to miss out on a lot that we're planning to do hear…" Leo said as he placed a hand on Donnie's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"You're right, Leo. Besides, you did say that we would play a game with him later on…" Donnie said with a warm smile before his face turned slightly serious. "Well, now that Mikey is sleeping peacefully, I'm going to have a talk with Raph and Casey…"

"Alright, Don…just don't lose your cool, ok? And try and keep your voice down; we don't want to wake Mikey up and worry him even more…" Leo advised his purple-banded brother firmly but softly before he watched Donnie nod and say, "I know", before he left the tent with Leo following him from behind and closing the tent to let Mikey sleep in peace.


	9. Part 9-Apologies and Making a Splash

Part 9-Apologies and Making a Splash

Around 6 hours had passed since the heated quarrel ended and let's just say that Donnie gave Raph and Casey a scolding that they would never forget; as soon as he left the tent, he walked over to them and whacked them hard on their heads with his bo staff before he gave them a tongue-lashing about how they hurt Mikey's feelings and that they could've made his condition even worse if he and Leo hadn't jumped in to calm Mikey down, causing the duo to look down in shame and regret.

Afterward, Raph and Casey were put on dish cleaning duty for the whole of their second day by Donnie, April, and Leo as punishment for their actions before they moved on to start preparing lunch.

When lunch was nearly ready, Donnie went over to his and Mikey's tent and entered inside to see if Mikey was well enough to have lunch with the others. Luckily, Mikey was starting to wake up after the smell of food woke him up from his slumber.

"Hey, Mikey…how are you doing?" Donnie asked softly as he knelt to his little brother's level.

"I'm doing ok…" Mikey answered tiredly before he sniffed the air around him. "Mmm, something smells good out there…is it lunchtime yet?"

"Yeah, that's why I came in to see you…and to check if your fever has gone back down," Donnie said with a little laugh before he got out the thermometer and put it in Mikey's mouth. After a minute, he took it out and looked at it.

"Oh good, it's gone back down…you're free to come and join us for lunch if you want to…" Donnie said with relief in his voice now that Mikey was back on the road to getting better again.

"Really? Erm…will Raph and Casey…want me there, though…?" Mikey questioned nervously since he was worried that Raph and Casey might still be mad at them.

"Of course they do, bro…besides, they've been punished to do dish-cleaning duties for the whole day today for their actions and behaviour, and they're also preparing a proper apology for you because they never meant to get angry at you in the first place…" Donnie answered as he placed a comforting hand on Mikey's shoulder.

Mikey breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that as well let out a laugh when he heard that Raph and Casey were put on dish-cleaning duty for the whole day since they weren't a fan of that chore before he slowly got out of his sleeping bag and followed Donnie out of their tent.

As they walked towards the campfire and seating area, Leo and April saw them coming over and they smiled warmly to see that Mikey was up and about again before Leo stood up from what he was doing and spoke to them.

"Mikey, you're up! That must mean that your fever has gone back down, right?"

"That's right, Leo. Still, we need to make sure that Mikey doesn't push himself too hard or get too excited when something happens. Otherwise, he will go back to square one again…" Donnie replied seriously but happily.

"Don't worry, Donnie; we'll make sure that doesn't happen. You can count on us…" April said after she looked up from her task of chopping up vegetables for today's lunch.

"Thanks, guys…" Mikey said gratefully before he turned to look at April. "So, we're having something with veggies in?"

"Yep; we're having vegetable soup for lunch today, Mikey. With some bread, of course…" April answered before she carried on with her duty of vegetable-chopping.

"I'm fine with that… I hope that I get better soon, though, so that I can get a pizza down me…" Mikey said with a sad smile.

"It shouldn't be too long now, Mikey…As long as you take it easy, you should feel 100% better soon…" Donnie said as he wrapped an arm around his little brother's shoulders and gave him a gentle sideways hug.

"I know, Donnie…Thanks…" Mikey said as he looked at Donnie with a warm thankful smile before he and Donnie took their seats to prepare themselves for lunch which was nearly ready once the vegetables were cooked and softened and mixed with cream to make a soup-like liquid.

Around 10 minutes later, Raph and Casey appeared from their time away from the camp to calm and clear their minds after the events of this morning. When they saw Mikey looking at them with a nervous look on his face, they turned to each other and nodded before Raph slowly walked over to his baby brother, who suddenly looked down to avoid eye contact with him, and knelt at his level before he spoke in a soft tone.

"Hey, bro…I'm glad dat ya back up and about again. Listen, I'm really sorry fa blowin' up and snappin' at ya at breakfast dis mornin'…it was uncalled for and I made ya sick again, but I promise ya dat it won't happen again, Mikey…can ya ever forgive me?"

Mikey took a moment to let Raph's apology sink into his mind before he slowly looked up and into Raph's eyes. He then developed a small smile and nodded before he suddenly engulfed him in a hug, which a surprised Raph greatly returned and said, "Thanks, lil' bro…", with everyone watching them with heart-warming smiles.

After releasing his red-banded brother from the hug, Mikey watched Casey as he stepped in next and knelt to his level before he spoke in the same way as Raph.

"Heya, Mike…I too want ta apologize fa da way I acted towards ya. I let my hunger and paranoia about getting' sick myself get da better of me and made ya feel worse than ya already are…I hope ya can forgive me, man…"

Casey held out a hand and Mikey looked at it and then back at Casey with a surprised look. He then smiled again and accepted his hand before they shook their hands to show that Mikey had forgiven him, causing Casey and the others to smile in relief and happiness now that both Raph and Casey were forgiven and at peace with Mikey. After a moment of silence, April spoke up.

"Well, now that you guys have made up, let's eat!"

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered to those words before they all sat down and started eating their lunch in peace after they received a bowl full of vegetable soup and a small bread bun each from April.

2 hours later…

After lunch had ended and everyone's stomachs were full, Raph and Casey went on to start their punishment and washed the dishes with a bucket of water that was gathered from the river earlier. Meanwhile, Leo had decided to play a game of 'Skip the Rocks' at the lake, which was not far from the camp, with Donnie and Mikey, and the game was to see who could skip the rocks across the lake the furthest and whoever reach a total score of 150 points would win, with April keeping track of the scores.

"Ok, the scores so far are: Leo is winning with 100 points and Mikey is second with a close score of 90 points, though Donnie is catching up to him with 86 points…" She said as she pointed at her notepad.

"Man, I keep forgetting how good you are at this, Leo…" Mikey said before he wiped the sweat off of his forehead after they stopped for a break.

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself, Mikey…" Leo replied with a warm smile before he and Mikey saw Donnie walk over to them with four cups of water.

"Well, all that matters is that we're having a fun time together. Here, I got some water for you all…" Donnie said before he gave Leo, Mikey, and April a cup each.

"Thanks, Donnie…" Mikey said with the others following his lead before he sat down on a rock and took a few sips of his water and sighed in relief after doing so.

"You ok, Mikey?" Leo asked him in slight concern after finishing his water.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm fine, Leo…It's just that it's been some time since I did something like this with you guys…especially when I'm still not fully back to my energetic self right now…" Mikey answered quickly with a sad smile.

"I know, Mikey…But today you've managed to play a game with us without feeling tired quickly or collapsing. That's a good sign that shows you're getting better!" Donnie said as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before Mikey hummed with a nod in understanding.

Then, Mikey and the others spotted Raph and Casey approaching them with small smiles on their faces.

"Hey, guys!" Raph said as he waved and got closer to them.

"Watcha up to?" Casey asked curiously.

"Hi, Raph, hi Casey! We were playing 'Skip the Rocks', and Leo's winning so far…" Mikey answered happily.

"Really? So, no one has been cheatin' or anythin', right?" Raph asked teasingly with a smirk.

"Of course not, Raph; April has been our referee and keeping track on our scores throughout the game!" Donnie answered with a mocking glare.

"Heh, heh…I'm kiddin', Brainiac…" Raph then said as he lightly punched Donnie's arm, causing the purple-banded turtle to laugh a little whilst rubbing his arm.

"So, how does dis game go? Do ya mind if ya teachin' me, Leo? I'd like ta give it a try…" Casey said politely but with a mischievous grin on his face as he and Raph had secretly planned something whilst they were on their way over to them.

"Sure, Casey…The game is to get a small rock and you hold it at a certain angle in the air and then…" Whilst Leo was explaining the rules of the game with his back turned and his body close to the lake's edge, Raph and Casey looked at each other, both wearing mischievous grins on their faces, and Raph slowly approached him from behind. Then;

"Whaaaa!" SPLASH!

Leo fell into the lake after Raph and Casey pushed him hard on his back, causing everyone else to gasp in surprise. As soon as Leo rose his head out and above the water, he saw Raph and Casey laughing their heads off and pointing at him before they high-fived each other.

"What the shell was that for!?" He shouted out after he coughed out any water that might have gone in his mouth.

"Dat's payback fa cookin' dat awful dinner last night!" Raph answered whilst trying to calm his laughing fit down.

"W-What about Casey!? He helped me to make it!" Leo countered back as he glared at Raph, who stopped laughing straight away after he heard those words.

However, before he was about to say or do something to respond to that;

"Whoaaaaa!" SPLASH!

He suddenly saw, at the corner of his eye, Casey fall into the water as well before he looked next to him to see Mikey standing in Casey's place whilst he, Donnie and April were laughing in hysterics, meaning that Mikey was the one who had pushed him in.

"Happy now, Leo?" Mikey asked his blue-banded brother with another laugh as he watched Casey emerge from under the water and glared at him.

"Yes, very! Thanks, Little brother!" Leo answered back before he started splashing at Casey, who splashed back with an annoyed look on his face.

Raph looked at his baby brother with a surprised look on his face before he chuckled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to give him a sideways hug as he spoke.

"Great job, bro!" He said before he gently rubbed Mikey's head with his other hand, causing the orange-banded turtle to giggle.

"Yeah, he really didn't see that coming!" Donnie said as he and April laughed at the scene in the lake.

"It ain't funny!" Casey cried out before he got splashed again by Leo.

"Ya right; it's hilarious! Haha!" Raph said before he joined in the laughter with the others.

After another 10 minutes of having a fun and hilarious time at the lake, Leo and Casey got out of the water and dried themselves off with towels thanks to April who went back to the camp to get a couple of them to reduce the risk of them getting sick as well. Then, everyone noticed that Mikey began to feel tired as he was trying to stifle a yawn despite his eyes drooping so Donnie decided to put their game at the lake on hold for another time and take him back to their tent for him to have a nap before dinnertime starts, with the others following them not far from behind.


	10. Part 10-An Unexpected Ambush!

Part 10-An Unexpected Ambush!

The sun was slowly starting to set on the second day of the group's camping trip, and preparations for dinner were well underway, with tonight's dish being beef and vegetable stew. Fortunately, Mikey was awake from his nap and, with Donnie's permission, was allowed to help with making dinner as long as April did all of the cooking, so Mikey just observed and would let April know if a certain ingredient needed to be put into the cooking pot.

"Man, dat smells good!" Raph complimented as he sniffed at the aroma in the air.

"I know, right? It's ready now, so get the others!" Mikey instructed Raph happily before he helped April with dishing the food into individual bowls. Everyone soon gathered together around the campfire and Mikey handed them a bowlful of stew, and they all made noises of satisfaction as soon as they took their first mouthful.

"Mmmm…this is really good!" Leo said happily before he took another mouthful of the food in his bowl.

"Yeah, the flavours in the meat and vegetables work really well…" Donnie said with a smile before he too continued with eating his food.

"Well, it's thanks ta April and Mikey dat we got somethin' good and edible ta eat fa a change, unlike last night's dinner…" Raph said with a shiver and then a mocking smirk when he looked at Leo and Casey as he said the last part, causing the two to glare at him before Casey spoke.

"Hey, come on! Don't bring dat back up again, man…!"

"Yeah, I thought we moved on from this! Let it go, Raph!" Leo said firmly in agreement before he watched Raph laugh.

"Knock it off, you guys! I've got a pan of hot water and I'm not afraid to use it!" April said with a mocking glare whilst lifting a small pan of hot water in mid-air, causing the three boys to quiet down immediately as soon as they saw it.

"Haha! Nice one, April…!" Mikey said before he gave April a high-five.

After half an hour had passed, everyone had finished their meals and were all relaxing by the campfire to allow their stomachs to settle whilst they watched the sun go down slowly. But, suddenly;

"There they are!" "Those aliens are back!" "Let's get them!"

The sounds of men yelling in anger were heard not far from the camp and everyone stood up to see a group of men running towards them, with guns in their hands!

"Oh, no…Donnie, it's-"

"I know, Mikey…stay close to me…" Donnie said calmly to Mikey when he noticed the fear in his baby brother's voice.

"What da shell are those goons doin' back here!?" Raph said angrily but quietly before he looked from the anti-alien group to his younger brothers.

"I don't know, Raph, but we need to get out of sight before they get closer to our camp…" Donnie answered firmly but still in a calm tone.

"So, they're that anti-alien group you guys were telling me about long ago…" Leo said as he looked at the humans who were slowly walking towards the camp.

"Y-Yeah, the H.A.T.E gang…" Mikey said shakily.

"Guys, go and hide in our tent! We'll try and reason with them by saying that there is a misunderstanding…!" April suddenly told the turtles as she pointed at her and Casey's tent.

"No, April! You can't argue with these guys-" Donnie tried to prevent April and Casey from going into contact with the gang, but April was having none of it.

"We'll be fine, Donnie. Now, go!" She said firmly.

"Yeah! We've got dis, guys! Go hide!" Casey said confidently with a smirk and a thumbs up.

Realizing that there was no use in arguing with the couple, Leo and his brothers made a run for April and Casey's tent and hid inside it with the doorway partially closed to allow them to watch and listen carefully and quietly to what was going on outside.

Soon, the H.A.T.E gang arrived at the camp and the men were quietly face-to-face with April and Casey before they broke the silence.

"Alright, you two…where are they?"

"Where are who?" April asked whilst pretending to be confused.

"Don't play dumb with us! You know who we're talking about; the aliens! We know they're here and you're all buddy-buddy with them, so tell us where they are, now!" One of the H.A.T.E members said impatiently whilst waving his gun in front of April, which Casey was not happy about.

"Listen here, pal; we're here ta enjoy a nice campin' vacation together with our friends, who have gone to find more firewood fa us, and things were peaceful here until you guys came over and ruined it fa us! So, I suggest dat ya leave me and my wife alone or I'm callin' da police!" He said with his anger slowly building in his body.

"Calm down, Casey…" April said calmly as she placed a hand on Casey's chest.

"We ain't buying your story, mister…there was nobody else accept us in that forest so I suggest that you tell us where your alien friends really are, or else…" Another H.A.T.E member said firmly as he walked closer to the couple with his loaded gun pointing at them.

In the tent, Leo and his brothers were watching the scene through the small gap in the doorway with nervous and concerned looks on their faces as they saw that both sides were showing no signs of backing down. Then, the older brothers turned to Mikey with widened eyes when they heard him coughing with a hand over his mouth to try and stay quiet during the process.

"Mikey, are you ok?" Leo whispered worryingly before he watched as Mikey nodded once his coughing fit stopped, letting him and his other brothers know that he was fine.

"Did you hear that?" "Yeah, it came from over there, in that tent!" "Come on, let's scope it out…"

"No! There really isn't anything in our tent!" "Yeah, it's probably just-" April and Casey tried to persuade the gang to stay away from their tent but to no avail.

"Quiet! We're checking it and you better stay still or we will shoot you down!" One of the H.A.T.E members said stubbornly before he and the rest of the gang made their way towards the tent.

The turtles then looked at the gang that was now approaching their tent and back at each other with panic beginning to show on their faces when they heard their voices about planning to look inside their tent.

"Oh, shell…I'm so sorry, bros…" Mikey rasped guiltily since he was the one who exposed their hiding place to the H.A.T.E gang.

"It's not your fault, Mikey…come on, let's get out through the back!" Leo replied softly before he unsheathed one of his katana swords and walked towards the back of the tent to begin his plan of escape for him and his brothers.

Soon, the H.A.T.E gang reached April and Casey's tent and one of the members slowly reached out his hand to grab the lip of the tent's door.

"Ok, boys, on the count of three…One…Two…. THREE!"

After shouting 'three', the gang member swiftly pulled the door open and was about to pull the trigger on his gun when he realized that the tent was empty, but he then noticed a torn hole at the back of the tent.

"What the…They _were _here, but they've escaped!"

Just as the gang was about to make a move, they were suddenly struck from behind out of nowhere by the turtles who then grabbed the gang members and threw them far away from the tent and onto the ground, knocking them out in the process.

"Nice job, guys!" April said as she and Casey came over to them.

"Thanks…sorry about slashing your tent, you two…" Leo said with an apologetic look on his face.

"No worries, man…we've got some duck tape dat we brought in case any of our tents got damaged durin' our time out here…" Casey said with a smirk.

The turtles sighed in relief before they and April and Casey started their walk towards the unconscious gang so that they could tie them up and call the police to pick them up. Unbeknownst to them, however, one of the gang members was still barely conscious and he looked at the approaching group and slowly pointed his gun at April. Mikey was the first to see this with a fast-beating heart and wide eyes.

"April!" He shouted at his female human friend before he moved and pushed her away.

BANG! "Aarrgh!"

"MIKEY!" Everyone shouted in horror as they saw Mikey take the bullet for April, which hit him in his upper left leg, before taking off quickly towards the forest with a fright despite the slight limp.

"Ha, ha! We've got one, boys! After him!" The gang member said before he and the other members got up and started to run towards where Mikey was running.

"Oh, no you don't! Stop right there!" Leo shouted out angrily at the gang as he and the others chased after them.

"Stay away from my brother!" Raph shouted next with rage building inside him as he caught up to them and started attacking them. Once the others caught up with the gang, they too threw a few punches and kicks at all the members before they were knocked out again, for real this time.

"Ok, that's them taken out…Did anyone see where Mikey went?" Leo said in concern over his baby brother's health and wellbeing.

"I was able to see him run towards the forest...I'm worried about his gunshot wound, though; it was bleeding quite badly…!" Donnie said worryingly as he clenched his fists in anger and concern.

"Well then, let's hurry up and go find him!" Raph said with determination on his face.

"Alright…April, you and Casey get these guys tied up and call the police, whilst we go and look for Mikey in the forest…" Leo instructed his human friends, who nodded in understanding, before he, Raph and Donnie grabbed a couple of flashlights and a first aid kit from one of their tents and quickly made their way towards the forest, hoping that their baby brother was safe and still alive.


	11. Part 11-Lost Then Found

Part 11-Lost Then Found

Leo, Raph, and Donnie entered the forest, which was darker than it was when Leo and Donnie visited it last time. They turned on their flashlights and looked around the first part of the forest to see if they could find any signs of Mikey, but so far, they found nothing.

"Oh, Mikey…where are you…? Please, be ok…" Donnie said worryingly since he and Mikey had a closer brotherly bond than anyone else, and he was also worried about Mikey's current condition because not only was still sick but he was wounded as well.

"Don't worry, Don; we'll find him…" Leo reassured his purple-banded brother despite feeling worried about Mikey on the inside.

"Hey, guys! Look!" Raph suddenly shouted out before Leo and Donnie ran over to him to see what he found. When they got there, Raph pointed his torch towards something on the ground, causing the other turtles to look at it with wide eyes.

"Is that…blood?" Leo questioned nervously with a feeling that he might know whose blood it could belong to.

"Yeah, and it's still fresh…which means that Mikey shouldn't be too far from us…" Donnie answered and confirmed Leo's insight after he assessed the blood.

"Well, dat's good cos it looks like he left us a trail!" Raph said as he pointed his torch straight ahead where more blood spots were splatted on the ground in a straight line.

"Nice one, Raph! Let's go!" Donnie complimented his red-banded brother before he, Leo and Raph followed the blood trail in a hurried manner.

A few minutes later, the turtles came to a sudden stop when they noticed that the blood trail had ended, but there were still no signs of Mikey from where they were standing.

"Great…Now what?" Raph grumbled in frustration.

"Why did it stop here?" Leo questioned in confusion.

"Well, my theory is that Mikey must have suddenly realised that he was leaving a blood trail, so he stopped here and then somehow used something, maybe his mask, to stem the bleeding from his bullet wound before he carried on running…" Donnie explained his possible answer to why the trail stopped.

"Ok then, so which way could he have run off to now? There's nothin' here ta say where he ran off to!" Raph said in a firm but concerned tone since he was getting worried about Mikey on the inside.

"Calm down, Raph…getting worked up about this won't get us anywhere or help us find Mikey quicker…" Leo said calmly as he placed a hand on his immediate little brother's shoulder.

Whilst this was happening, Donnie pointed his torch in certain parts of the forest as he looked around the area to see if he could find any more clues to Mikey's whereabouts. It was then that he noticed a large hole in the bottom of the forest's rocky ledge on the other side from where he was standing, which turned out to be a cave.

"Guys, look! A cave!" Donnie alerted his brothers as he pointed his torch at the large hole before Leo and Raph ran towards him to see for themselves.

"Whoa…do ya think Mikey is in there…?" Raph questioned as he looked at the cave with disbelief.

"Only one way to find out…let's go down and see…" Leo answered before he slid down from the edge of the forest clearing, with his other brothers following his lead.

Once they all got to the bottom, the turtles reached the cave's entrance and pointed their torches to see what's inside before Raph spoke in a whisper.

"What do we do now?"

Hmm…Let me try something…" Donnie answered before he leaned in and shouted Mikey's name. "Mikey! Mikey, it's me, Donnie!"

Leo and Raph were startled slightly when Donnie called out for their baby brother but they composed themselves and followed his lead after a minute of silence and no reply from inside the cave.

"Mikey!" "Mikey! Ya there, bro!?"

The turtles listened closely into the cave to hear out for any signs of Mikey being in there whilst they heard their own voices echoing inside. After a minute went by with no other sounds coming from inside the cave, Leo and his brothers looked at each other with disappointed looks on their faces and they turned around to begin looking for Mikey elsewhere. Then;

"_B-Bros… that you…?"_

The three older brothers froze and their eyes widened in surprise as they looked at each other with hope showing on their faces when they recognised the voice coming from inside the cave.

"Mikey…" Donnie said in disbelief as he turned back towards the cave entrance and decided to enter inside to try and find Mikey, with his older brothers following him close from behind.

The three older turtles slowly and quietly walked into the cave and shined their torches around to make sure that they did not bump into any walls or trip over any rocks on the ground. They soon came to a corner and Donnie, who was further ahead from his older brothers, was the first to peer his head round it from where he was standing to have a look around.

When he looked closer at the right side of the area in front of him, Donnie noticed something big and green laying on its side on the ground, causing him to gasp and his eyes to widen when he recognised the figure's shell-covered back.

"Mikey! Guys, he's over here!" He said out loud before he quickly moved towards his baby brother, who slowly turned onto his back and looked over at Donnie with a tired but small smile on his face as soon as he saw his immediate older brother coming over to him.

"D-Donnie…I knew…you would find me…" He said tiredly before he managed to see a glimpse of his other older brothers as well. "R-Raph and Leo…are here too…"

"Of course we would come and find you, Mikey…we wouldn't leave you wounded and alone like this…" Donnie replied as he knelt down to Mikey's level and placed a comforting hand on his chest. It was then that he noticed that Mikey wasn't wearing his mask and saw that it was used to temporarily bandage his wounded leg, proving his earlier theory right.

"Oh, Mikey… thank goodness you're safe…" Leo then said with a sigh of relief as soon as he saw him before he and Raph hurried to Mikey's other side.

"Man, ya had us worried, bro…Ya doin' ok?" Raph said in concern when he saw how tired and in pain Mikey was.

"Y-Yeah…just hurts…in my leg…" Mikey answered before he winced at the pain shooting from the bullet wound in his upper left leg, which was being unwrapped and assessed by Donnie.

"Well, you did the right thing in using your mask to stop the bleeding, Mikey…there's no exit wound so the bullet is still in your leg. Luckily, it hasn't reached the bone…" The purple-banded turtle said in his 'Doctor Don' voice whilst using his torch and gauze from the first aid kit to look at the bullet wound.

"Do we need to get the bullet out, Donnie?" Leo asked calmly despite the worry building in his heart and mind.

"I'm afraid so, Leo…we can't leave it in there or it might cause more damage if we move Mikey with it still inside his leg…" Donnie answered sadly before he noticed Mikey shivering a bit despite wearing his new jacket. "Are you cold, Mikey?"

"A-A bit…" Mikey answered shakily.

After hearing that answer, Raph immediately got closer to Mikey and unzipped his own jacket and covered his baby brother up warm, before he gently lifted his baby brother's upper half into his arms and placed his head on his plastron. Meanwhile, Donnie reached into the first aid kit and got out a pair of tweezers and then looked at Leo and Raph before he spoke.

"Ok, you two; I need you to keep Mikey still whilst I try and get the bullet out of his leg…" After receiving a nod from both Leo and Raph before they went into position to hold Mikey still, he then looked at his baby brother who had a scared look on his face. "I know this will hurt, Mikey, but I'll try and make it quick, ok? Hold still, now…" Mikey nodded slightly to confirm that he was ready before Donnie moved closer to the bullet wound with the tweezers.

With everyone ready, Donnie began the procedure; he slowly inserted the tweezers into the entrance of the bullet wound, causing Mikey to gasp and flinch as he felt the pain shoot from his leg straight away. "Ngh…"

"Shhh…it's ok, bro…it's ok…" Raph soothed Mikey as he tightened his hold and held his baby brother's head close to his chest.

"It'll all be over soon, Mikey, just hold on a little longer…" Leo said whilst he restrained Mikey's legs to keep them from moving due to the pain.

Donnie continued on until the tweezers reached the bullet. He then widened the tweezers and grabbed the bottom of the bullet. "Got it…" He whispered to himself before he started to slowly pull it out from the damaged muscle.

"Ngh…Aarrgh…!" Mikey groaned and yelped in pain whilst tightly gripping Raph's arm hard before he gasped for air when the bullet was finally removed completely from his leg.

"There, it's out…and still in one piece, too…You can relax now, Mikey…" Donnie said with a sigh of relief as he showed the bullet to the others before he went to work on cleaning out and wrapping Mikey's leg with fresh bandages. Mikey did just what Donnie said and closed his eyes as he relaxed and laid his head onto Raph's plastron, causing the red-banded brother to smile and Leo to smile too before he released his baby brother's legs and moved next to Donnie to give him a hand.

10 minutes later…

The turtles exited the cave, with Raph carrying a now sleepy Mikey in a bridal-style hold and Leo and Donnie walking in front of them to look out for any more enemies that might appear out of nowhere during their return back to the camp. After a moment of silence and not moving, Mikey suddenly spoke in a panic when he remembered something important.

"April! I-Is she ok…? She's not-"

"Easy, Mikey, calm down…April's fine and unharmed, thanks to you…" Leo reassured his baby brother as he walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"O-Oh…good…I'm glad she's ok…" Mikey said with a sigh of relief after hearing that April was not hurt.

"Yes, and we can't thank you enough for protecting her, Mikey…That was really brave of you…" Donnie said gratefully to his immediate little brother as he walked over to rub his head affectionately.

"Yeah…I can't believe dat no one else saw dat attack comin'…I'm proud of ya, bro…!" Raph said with a smirk.

"Ha, ha…Thanks, bros…" Mikey said with a bashful smile before he stifled a yawn.

"Get some rest, Mikey…we'll make sure that we all get back to the camp safely…" Donnie said softly with a warm smile.

Mikey nodded in understanding to Donnie's words before he closed his eyes and laid his head on Raph's shoulder as he fell asleep in seconds.

"Alright, guys, let's head back and check on April and Casey…" Leo said quietly to avoid waking up Mikey. Raph and Donnie nodded in agreement to their leader and older brother before they all began their walk towards the campsite so that they could leave the forest altogether.


	12. Part 12-Safe

Part 12-Safe

_Back at the camp…_

April was pacing up and down near the campfire with a worried look on her face, because it had been almost an hour since the turtles went into the forest to search for Mikey. Casey looked at his wife whilst he was sitting on his camping chair before he stood up and spoke to her in a reassuring tone.

"Hey, April…don't worry; I'm sure dat Mikey is ok and da guys will surely have found him by now…"

"Easy for you to say, Casey…It's my fault that Mikey got hurt and ran off into the forest in the first place!" April said firmly but sadly before her eyes filled with tears of guilt. Seeing this, Casey got closer to April and engulfed her in a hug.

"Oh, babe…it's not your fault at all…it was dat stupid gang dat tried ta harm us and then hurt Mikey in da process…so, calm down, ok? Mikey and da others wouldn't want ta see ya all upset, ya know…?" He said soothingly as April sobbed in his hold.

Then, Casey saw a group of silhouettes appearing from the darkness of the forest and he soon recognised them as the turtles, with Mikey alive and asleep in Raph's arms!

"April, look! They're back!" He alerted April who was sniffling and wiping away her tears before she looked behind her and saw for herself with wide eyes that the turtle brothers had returned.

"Guys!" She said in slight concern as she ran towards them. When she reached them, April saw that Mikey was alive and asleep in Raph's arms despite having a wounded leg. "Mikey…" She said softly as she gently placed a hand on Mikey's head.

"It's ok, April. Mikey's going to be fine. I've removed the bullet from his leg and patched it up, but it will need stitches in order for it to heal properly…" Donnie said softly and in his 'Doctor Don' voice whilst placing a comforting hand on April's shoulder.

"Ok…I'll help out in any way I can…I owe him for saving my life, after all…!" April said with determination after she nodded in understanding to Donnie's explanation.

"Thanks, April…Let's get him inside the tent and get everything ready for his treatment…" Donnie said gratefully before he guided Raph towards their tent with April following them. Leo then walked over and asked him an important question.

"Did the police come and take those gang members away? I didn't see them with you when we got here…"

"Yeah, they just left with them about 10 minutes ago…" Casey answered with a smirk.

"Good…That's good…" Leo said as he sighed in relief after hearing that the H.A.T.E gang would no longer bother them throughout the rest of their camping trip. He was then handed a warm drink, which contained hot chocolate, by Casey as a way to ease his stress.

"Here, man…April made enough in da pot fa all of us…"

"Thank you, Casey…Smells good…" Leo said gratefully as he accepted the hot beverage before he sat down by the campfire with Casey to give Donnie, Raph, and April some space to take care of Mikey.

_/_

_In Mikey and Donnie's tent…_

Raph gently laid Mikey down onto his sleeping bag and Donnie placed a pillow under Mikey's wounded leg to elevate it and relieve the pain. Donnie then opened the first aid kit and got out a needle and medical thread before he handed April a fresh roll of bandages and a gauze as he spoke.

"Alright, April, I need you to supply me with fresh gauze whenever I need to stem the bleeding as I stitch up Mikey's wound. Once I'm done, pass me the roll of fresh bandages so that I can cover up the stitches…" April nodded in understanding before Donnie turned to Raph and continued speaking. "Raph, I need you to hold Mikey still whilst I work since he might try to move away due to the pain." Raph nodded before he placed one hand on Mikey's plastron and another hand on his leg to keep him still.

With everything ready and in place, Donnie looked back at the bullet wound on Mikey's leg and began to make the first insert with the needle and thread. Since there was nothing to use to help numb the feeling of the needle penetrating the skin, Mikey felt it pinch his leg sharply and flinched with a groan whilst still asleep.

"Shhh…Relax bro, it's ok…" Raph said softly as he stroked his baby brother's chest with his thumb to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, Mikey…It'll all be over soon…" Donnie soothed his baby brother softly as he signaled April to pass him a fresh gauze to clean away some of the blood from the half-closed wound before he continued on with the procedure.

After another two minutes went by, Donnie was finally finished with stitching up Mikey's wound and he signaled April to pass him the roll of fresh bandages so that he could wrap up Mikey's leg to protect the stitches. Once he was done, Donnie wiped the sweat off of his forehead and looked up at Raph and Mikey before he spoke.

"How's Mikey doing, Raph?"

"I think he's fine, annoyed from the pain disturbin' his sleep but he's back ta sleep again…He's still a lil' warm though…" Raph answered calmly but in concern after he lifted his hands from Mikey's chest and legs to place a hand on his forehead and check his temperature.

"Yeah, I know…I thought that this might be the case…we can only give him medication to help with the pain as he sleeps since mixing two different medicines together is too dangerous and could make things worse for him…we'll just have to reduce his fever by using a damp cloth for now…" Donnie explained with a sigh before he reached into the first aid kit and got out two painkiller tablets and then gently shook Mikey to wake him up and get him to take his medicine. "Mikey…Wake up, bro…"

"Mmmm…Ngh…" Mikey groaned as he began to wake up and open his eyes to see two of his older brothers and April looking down at him with tired but relieved looks on their faces. "G-Guys…?"

"Oh, Mikey…I'm glad you're alright…" April spoke as she placed a gentle hand on Mikey's chest and her eyes began to fill with tears of joy when she saw his eyes finally open.

"Hey, April…you ok?" Mikey rasped with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine…thanks to you…I should be the one to say that to _you_ because you took the hit for me…" April said tearfully with a light chuckle as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Here, Mikey, take these; they should help with the pain while you sleep…" Donnie then said before he lifted Mikey's head with one hand whilst holding the tablets in his other hand. Mikey opened his mouth to allow Donnie to put the tablets into his mouth and he was then given a drink of water by Raph to help him swallow them down.

Donnie laid Mikey's head back down onto his pillow and tucked him in with his leg still elevated to help him feel more comfortable, and April gently placed a cool damp cloth on Mikey's forehead to help reduce the fever. Now that he felt safe and settled in his tent with everyone around him, Mikey let out a yawn as he began to fall asleep with his eyes slowly drooping.

"Sleep now, little brother…you've been through a lot today…" Donnie said with a warm smile as he lightly patted the top of Mikey's sleeping bag.

"G'night, bro…see ya in da mornin'…" Raph said next as he gave Mikey's shoulder a squeeze.

"Goodnight, Mikey…Thanks again for saving me…" April said softly before she gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to smile faintly before he fell asleep seconds later.

Donnie, Raph, and April looked on at the sleeping turtle with warm smiles on their faces for a moment before they decided to leave the tent to let him sleep in peace and let Leo and Casey know about his condition.

/

_At the campfire…_

Leo was sitting on one of the camping chairs and tapping his now empty cup with one of his fingers in an anxious manner, whilst Casey was keeping the campfire going by throwing pieces of paper into it and poking it with a stick as anxiety and impatience began to build in both of their bodies since it had been some time after Mikey was taken to his and Donnie's tent for treatment.

Then, Leo spotted Donnie, Raph and April walking towards him and Casey and he got up just as they arrived at the campfire before he spoke. "Hey, guys…is Mikey ok?"

"He's fine now, Leo. I've stitched up his wound and gave him some painkillers to help with the pain whilst he sleeps tonight. He still has a fever but April has placed a damp cloth on his head to help reduce it during the night…" Donnie answered with a tired smile whilst in his 'Doctor Don' voice before he heard Leo and Casey let out a sigh of relief and speak.

"Thank goodness…"

"Well, we can all sleep easy now dat Mikey is ok…!"

"Yeah…speaking of sleep, I think I might turn in myself…Oh, yeah! There's some hot chocolate for you all in that pot next to the fire if you want some… Goodnight…" April said with a yawn before she walked towards her own tent to turn in.

"Thanks, April…and goodnight…" Donnie replied before he and Raph went over to the pot and pour some hot chocolate into a cup each, and then they joined Leo and Casey at the campfire. After a moment of silence, Casey spoke up.

"Man…what a day dis has been…"

"Yeah, Mike's been through a rough day, dat's fa sure…" Raph said with a nod in agreement before he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"You're right, Raph…first, the quarrel at breakfast, then his fever going back up and now the H.A.T.E gang appearing and hurting Mikey…I guess today was not a good day for him or any of us…" Donnie said with a sad and tired sigh before he took another sip of his hot chocolate.

"Don't worry, Donnie, I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day for all of us, especially Mikey who definitely deserves a special day after saving April earlier…" Leo said with a warm smile.

"Totally agree with ya on dat, Fearless…!" Raph said with a smirk as he raised his cup in mid-air.

"Me too!" Donnie said as he raised his cup in mid-air as well.

"Here, here!" Casey cheered quietly as he too raised his cup in mid-air.

"Then, it's settled; let's make sure that tomorrow is a good day for Mikey and for all of us, too!" Leo said with determination as he raised his cup in mid-air with the others.

"Yeah!" The others cheered quietly to avoid waking Mikey and April before they all finished what was left in their cups and decided to turn in since the second day was an eventful one for everyone, including Mikey, and as they slept they all hoped deep down that the next day would be a much better one.


	13. Part 13-A New Day (Morning)

Part 13-A New Day (Morning)

It was a beautiful and peaceful morning at the camp as the sun slowly rose high into the sky on the third day of the camping trip. However, everyone had decided to stay in bed for a bit longer to sleep off their exhaustion after the events from yesterday's encounter and near-death experience with the H.A.T.E gang.

After another hour of sleeping, Leo was the first one to wake up. He got out of his and Raph's tent and stretched his body whilst letting out a yawn before he walked towards Donnie and Mikey's tent to check on Mikey when he noticed that he was the only one awake. He tapped the tent's door and waited for about a minute before the door opened and a half-awake Donnie appeared at the door.

"Good morning, Donnie…Were you still asleep when I knocked?" Leo greeted his brother softly.

"Morning, Leo…I was just waking up when you knocked, so it's fine…I'm guessing you came over to check on Mikey?" Donnie replied with a small smile. Leo nodded with a hum and entered the tent quietly as soon as Donnie moved aside to welcome him inside.

When he got closer to Mikey, Leo saw that he was still asleep but he had a more peaceful look on his face whilst his breathing was better than it was before. Letting his curiosity take over, Leo gently placed a hand on Mikey's forehead to check his temperature and found that his fever was almost gone, causing his eyes to widen in surprise before looking at Donnie who chuckled lightly before he smiled warmly as he spoke.

"I know, right? I was surprised myself when I checked him over earlier…Despite everything that happened yesterday, he's already overcome a big hurdle…"

Leo smiled and nodded at Donnie's words before they both heard a soft yawn coming from the sleeping turtle. They looked at Mikey to see that his eyes were slowly opening, meaning that he was starting to wake up.

"Mmm…L-Leo…D-Donnie…?" Mikey said sleepily as soon as he saw Leo and Donnie looking at him with relieved smiles on their faces.

"Morning, Mikey…How are you feeling?" Leo asked Mikey first with a warm smile.

"A little sore…in my leg…but I'm ok…" Mikey answered tiredly with a small smile despite the slight burning pain that he was feeling in his wounded leg before he saw Donnie come into view.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake, Mikey…I was worried that you might go back to square one with your illness after last night's events, but you just proved me wrong today because your fever is almost gone! You are one lucky turtle, bro…" He said softly before he held Mikey's hand and gently squeezed it which Mikey squeezed back.

"Do we still have any pain medicine left, Donnie?" Leo asked since he didn't like the idea of seeing Mikey in pain all day.

"Yes, we still have plenty but they can only be taken after food consumption, so Mikey will need to have breakfast first before he can take any..." Donnie answered in his 'Doctor Don' voice. Leo nodded in understanding before he helped Mikey to sit up after noticing him trying to push his exhausted body up from the inside of his sleeping bag.

"Do you think that you can move and leave the tent with our help, Mikey?" Leo then said softly to his baby brother, who nodded with a hum before Leo wrapped Mikey's arm around his shoulder and wrapped his own arm around Mikey's shell-covered back whilst Donnie did the same on the other side. Luckily, the tent was tall and wide enough for the three turtles to move and exit it without aggravating Mikey's wounded leg in the process.

Once they were outside, Leo and Donnie slowly and carefully guided Mikey towards the seating area, where they all saw that April was already there and setting up the cooker to start making breakfast.

"Morning, April!" Mikey called out to get her attention as soon as they were closer to the seating area, which had worked because April looked up and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a smiling Mikey being helped by Leo and Donnie.

"Mikey!" She said in relief as she got up and quickly went over to the turtles and engulfed Mikey into a warm grateful hug before she released him and spoke again. "I'm so glad you're up and moving again! I was so worried that you'd…well…"

"Hey…don't worry, April; I'm a little sore but I'm fine…" Mikey reassured April who smiled after hearing that.

"That's right, and I'll give him some pain medicine after breakfast to help ease the pain..." Donnie said before he and Leo helped Mikey to sit down on one of the camping seats.

"Would you like a hand with breakfast, April?" Leo asked.

"Well, I could do with someone helping me with making sure that the cutlery and plates are clean and prepared. Thanks, Leo!" April answered before she went over to the food box and got out the eggs, bacon, and fruit, and then she walked back to her seat to start the process of preparing and cooking breakfast. Leo nodded and went over to where the cutlery and plates are kept and went to work with checking and preparing them before breakfast was ready.

A few minutes later, breakfast was almost ready and Raph and Casey appeared from their tents and walked over to join the others whilst yawning and stretching their bodies since they only just woke up.

"Morning, guys!" Mikey said as soon as he saw the duo walking closer to the seating area, causing Raph and Casey to look over at him with surprised looks on their faces before developing a smile.

"Hey, bro! Great ta see ya up and doin' ok!" Raph said before he rubbed Mikey's head affectionately, causing the orange-banded turtle to giggle.

"Yeah…ya gave us a scare when ya vanished into da forest after ya got shot yesterday…Glad ta see dat ya doin' alright now, man…!" Casey said in agreement as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Haha, thanks…I'll admit that I was a bit scared last night after that near-death experience, but I'm alright now because all that matters is that everyone is ok…" Mikey replied with a small smile whilst blushing when he admitted that he was scared from last night's ordeal.

The others smiled warmly at the orange-banded turtle before they all gave him a group hug, which Mikey greatly accepted. A moment later, the group released Mikey from the hug and April and Leo went over to the cooker to begin plating up breakfast.

"Here's yours, Mikey…" Leo said as he passed the first plate, which had a few pieces of chopped fruit and two slices of bacon on it, to his baby brother who was surprised at what he had just received before he heard Donnie speak up next to him.

"It was my idea, Mikey. I thought that we could try and see if you can manage to eat more than just fruit today since you are feeling a lot better than yesterday. Just make sure that you eat it slowly or you might throw it back up again if you eat too fast…"

Mikey beamed at Donnie after hearing those words before he turned back to his plate and began to slowly eat his breakfast whilst the others received their breakfasts and tucked in as well.

Around 20 minutes later, everyone had finished eating their breakfasts and they all relaxed in their seats to allow their stomachs to settle, and Mikey was able to finish his without feeling sick which was the good news that the others were hoping for, so they all sighed in relief when they first noticed this. After a long silence, Leo turned to Mikey and spoke.

"Hey, Mikey? Would you like to continue our game of 'Skip the Rocks' when you're ready? We still need to know who wins after we put it on hold yesterday…"

"I'd be happy to, bro! I've got a feeling that I'm gonna win for sure!" Mikey replied in excitement after finishing his drink of water.

"Heh, not if I have anythin' ta do about it, Chucklehead…!" Raph said with a cocky smirk.

"Don't forget about me; I'm definitely going to catch up to you guys and win this time!" Donnie said as he stood up from his seat and placed his hands on his hips.

"Ok, guys…let's clean up first and _then _we will continue from where we left off with our game, alright?" April butted in firmly whilst wearing an amused smile when she saw the confidence and competitiveness that the boys were showing before she saw them freeze and then groan once they heard her words.

Nevertheless, the boys, except Mikey who was still resting in his seat due to his injured leg, helped April in gathering all the cutlery and plates and placed them in a bucket of water to clean them up. Once they were washed, the plates and cutlery were towel-dried by Donnie and Mikey, before April and Leo stored them away in the box which was used to store and transfer them during their camping trip.

"Are you ready to stand up, Mikey?" Donnie asked Mikey after he stood up and held out his hand towards him with a smile.

"Yeah…!" Mikey answered happily as he reached and grabbed his brother's hand, and he was then pulled up by Donnie who then gave him his bo staff for him to use as a crutch.

With Mikey supported by Donnie and ready to go, the group made their way towards the lake to continue with their game. Once they reached the lake and got into position, April opened her notepad and read aloud the current scores so far.

"Ok, guys; the scores from yesterday show that Leo is currently in the lead with 100 points and Mikey is second with 90 points, and Donnie is third with 86 points…"

"Got it! Ok, everyone, get ready ta have ya butts kicked with my rock throwin' skills!" Raph said with a nod whilst wearing a cocky smirk.

"Raph, you do know that you won't be able to catch up and win in this round since you didn't take part in the first round yesterday…" Donnie reminded his red-banded brother with a chuckle.

"Huh? What makes ya think dat!?" Raph replied firmly with narrowed eyes.

"Err…Raphie, what part of 'didn't take part in the first round yesterday' did you not understand? Unless you have a really good throwing arm, you've got no chance!" Mikey answered before he laughed a little.

"Hey, last I heard it was ya leg that took da bullet and not ya head, so shut it or I'll throw ya into da lake!" He said with a mocking glare and a raised fist, causing Mikey back away slightly with a small shriek before Donnie stood in front of him with a serious look on his face.

"You will do no such thing, Raph! The stitches in his leg are not waterproof and the last thing we want is to redo them…!" He said firmly.

"Donnie, I was jokin'…calm down…!" Raph said whilst waving his hand at his purple-banded brother.

"Alright, you guys, settle down! We're all here at the lake to have a fun time with each other's company, no matter who wins the game…right?" Leo then said calmly as he stepped in to prevent the chance of a fight from occurring.

The younger brothers looked at each other in thought before they smiled at one another and nodded in agreement with Leo's words.

"Good, now let's get into position!" Leo said happily before he, his brothers and Casey picked up a suitable rock and got into their positions at the edge of the lake and waited for April to give them the signal to start the game.

"Ready…set…go!" April shouted as she signalled the boys by raising her hand in the air and quickly lowering it down again to start throwing their first rock.

The game went on for about an hour until April called an end to it. Throughout the whole game, there were a couple of times where Raph and Casey would try to put each other off by attempting to push one or the other into the water, so they were both disqualified for disrupting the game, and there were also occasions where Mikey struggled to throw his rocks properly at first due to his injured leg but he eventually managed to find a suitable standing pose and was able to skip the rocks correctly for the rest of the game. The boys gathered together around April as she read aloud the final scores.

"Ok, guys…It was a close final round, but the overall winner of 'Skip the Rocks' is…Leo with 200 points!"

"Alright!" Leo shouted out in victory after hearing that he won the game.

"Well done, Leo!" Donnie complimented his oldest brother before giving him a high-three.

"Yeah, way to go, bro!" Mikey said in agreement despite the slight inner disappointment that he was feeling due to not winning the game himself.

"Hey, you weren't so bad yourself, Mikey, despite having an injured leg…!" Leo pointed out as he wrapped an arm around Mikey's shoulders.

"Leo's right, Mikey. In fact, you came second with 196 points! That's a good score!" April said as she pointed her pen on her notepad whilst she read out Mikey's score.

"Whoa…really!?" Mikey said with a stunned look on his face.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter how high the score is because it's the taking part and having fun that counts…" Donnie said with a warm smile, causing everyone to do the same and then nod in agreement.

"Yeah, well I would've caught up ta Leo if Casey hadn't try ta do somethin' funny…!" Raph then said gruffly as he looked at Casey with a smirk and narrowed eyes.

"Hey! You were da one who started it by tryin' ta push me in da water first…!" Casey countered back firmly whilst glaring mockingly at Raph who growled and got closer to Casey's face.

"Pfff…Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The two hotheads stopped bickering and looked at Mikey as he suddenly burst into laughter due to the way they were arguing with each other before Leo, Donnie, and April were heard laughing with him.

"D-Dudes, don't you ever play nice with each other…? It's just a game after all…!" Mikey questioned as he tried to calm himself down after laughing so much.

This caused Raph and Casey to freeze and look at each other after hearing Mikey's words before they too slowly cracked into a burst of laughter and wrapped an arm around each others' shoulders.

"Oh…Oh, man…W-What are we doin'…?" Raph said whilst gasping for breath from all the laughing he did.

"I…I don't know…!" Casey replied whilst trying to catch his breath after laughing so much.

"Ha, ha! I guess Mikey has helped in reminding you two about the funny side to all of this…" April said with a smile, causing Leo and Donnie to do the same and nod in agreement whilst Mikey just blushed and giggled to that statement.

"Yeah, ya right, April…Thanks, lil' bro…" Raph said in agreement to April's words before he turned to Mikey and wrapped an arm around him to give him a sideways hug, causing the orange-banded turtle to giggle.

"Yeah, thanks, man…" Casey then said before he offered Mikey a fist bump, which the orange-banded turtle accepted by gently bumping his own fist with Casey's.

It was then that Mikey began to cough a couple of times, causing Donnie to approach him worryingly due to the possibility that his little brother might be having a relapse of his illness.

"Mikey?" Donnie said nervously.

"I'm fine, Donnie…" Mikey reassured his purple-banded brother as soon as his coughing fit had ended before he then rubbed his eyes as tiredness began to kick in.

"Looks like it's time for you to take a nap, Mikey…I think today's game has worn you out…" Leo said softly when he noticed that Mikey was close to dozing off.

"Aww, but I-"

"I agree with Leo, Mikey; your illness hasn't completely left you yet and the last thing we want is for you to push yourself too hard and go straight back to square one…" Donnie said firmly but softly as he cut off Mikey when he was about to refuse his naptime.

"Ok…ok, I understand…" Mikey said as he looked down with a defeated sigh.

"Hey, don't feel down, Mikey…you'll still be able to do things with us after you've had your nap. Also, we think that we should roast some marshmallows after dinner tonight since we haven't had the chance to do that yet…!" April said sweetly before she watched Mikey look up at her with a surprised look on his face before he said, "Really!?"

"Yeah, so…" Raph answered before he suddenly lifted Mikey up in his arms in a bridal-style hold, startling Mikey, before he continued speaking. "Until then, let's get ya ta bed, Chucklehead!"

Mikey laughed a little before he accepted the lift from his red-banded brother by resting his head on Raph's shoulder whilst letting out a yawn and closing his eyes, causing everyone to look at him with warm smiles before they all started their walk back to their campsite.

Once they got back to the camp, Raph entered Mikey and Donnie's tent with Donnie following close behind him and he gently laid a now sleeping Mikey down on his sleeping bag before he moved slightly to allow Donnie to tuck him in and make sure that his leg was in a comfortable position.

"Man, he really is worn out…" Raph said quietly with a hint of concern as he looked at his sleeping baby brother.

"Yeah, I know…but at least his temperature hasn't risen, so he's going to be just fine after a couple of hours' rest…" Donnie reassured his red-banded brother as he gently placed a hand on Mikey's forehead to check his fever which was found to remain on a low temperature still, much to his relief, before he spoke again but in a whisper.

"Let's leave him to sleep now…"

Raph nodded with a hum before he followed Donnie out of the tent quietly to allow Mikey to sleep in peace.


	14. Part 14-A New Day (Afternoon)

Part 14-A New Day (Afternoon)

_3 hours later…_

It had been three hours since Mikey was taken to his and Donnie's tent for a nap, and the others had decided to chill around the seating area whilst he slept in order to recover from both the events of last night and today's game.

"So, what should we have for lunch today?" April asked the boys who were close to dozing off in their seats.

"Well, what is there left in the food box?" Leo said curiously before he watched as April got up from her seat and walked towards the camping food box to find out what choice of food they've got left.

"Ok, let's see…we can have either burgers, hot dogs or chicken and vegetable skewers for today's lunch…" She answered as she lifted the ingredients up from the food box for today's lunch choices.

"Hmm…I think chicken and veg skewers sound good, especially for Mikey since he still can't eat anything too heavy right now…" Donnie said.

"I agree with Donnie on this one. Besides, I too would like to eat something light for today's lunch and then eat whatever we're choosing to have for dinner later tonight…" Leo said in agreement with Donnie's opinion on the food choice. Raph and Casey, on the other hand, weren't too happy about it.

"Oh, come on…! What's da matter with eatin' a bit of red meat _now_!?" Raph complained heatedly.

"Yeah! Don't tell me ya agreein' with _their _choice instead of _ours_, April!" Casey said loudly and firmly.

"Quiet down, you two…! Mikey's still asleep and the last thing we want is a disturbed and cranky Mikey. Anyway, I think chicken and veg skewers are better to have for lunch than burgers or hot dogs since they're lighter and don't make us feel tired after eating them...!" April said firmly but quietly to the two hotheads to prevent them from waking Mikey up with their shouting before she got out the ingredients to make the skewers, much to Leo and Donnie's joy and Raph and Casey's annoyance.

"I'll give you a hand, April…" Leo said happily and April gave him a grateful smile before she got out the chopping boards and knives for preparing and chopping the respective foods.

"While you two prepare lunch, I'll go check on Mikey and see if he's woken up yet…and hopefully not by force…!" Donnie said before he got out of his chair and began his walk towards his and Mikey's tent after giving Raph and Casey a stern look as he left.

"Geez…talk about touchy…!" Raph said gruffly before he heard Casey snicker with a smirk.

_/_

_Mikey and Donnie's tent…_

Donnie quietly entered the tent and was relieved to find Mikey still fast asleep and wasn't disturbed by Raph and Casey's earlier yelling. He approached Mikey's sleeping form and gently placed his hand on his baby brother's forehead to check his temperature, which he happily found to have remained the same since this morning. He then moved his hand onto Mikey's shoulder and gently shook it to try and wake him up.

"Mikey…it's time to get up…" Donnie said softly.

"Mmm…hmm…?" Mikey groaned and hummed as he started to wake up whilst he slowly opened his eyes to see his immediate older brother in his line of sight, causing him to produce a tired smile as he spoke.

"Hey, Donnie…"

"Hey, little brother…did you sleep well?" Donnie replied with a warm smile.

"Yeah…I'm guessing it's nearly lunchtime…?" Mikey said as he slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Yes, we're having chicken and vegetable skewers for lunch…It was April's suggestion for us to have them since she, Leo, and I feel that a light lunch today would be better for all of us, especially you…" Donnie answered.

"Mmm…sounds good…" Mikey said as he nodded in understanding before he got up from his sleeping bag, with the help and support from Donnie, and they both left their tent.

/

_At the camp's seating area..._

Donnie and Mikey made their way towards the seating area, where April and Leo were placing the now skewered chicken and vegetable chunks onto the camp cooker to start cooking them.

"Hey, guys!" Mikey called out to them happily before he carefully sat down on his chair whilst being assisted by Donnie.

"Hi, Mikey! Good to see up and full of energy again…!" Leo replied with a smile whilst April nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, me too!" Mikey replied with a sunny smile before he looked over at Raph and Casey, who were both sat in their seats with their arms folded and wearing unhappy faces whilst grumbling.

"What's up with those two? They look like they just threw a big temper tantrum…" Mikey asked whilst looking at the two hotheads with a raised eyebrow.

"Those two are not happy with today's lunch choice, but I just told them that if they didn't behave themselves they would go back to dishwashing duties for the remainder of the trip…" April explained with a smirk whilst pointing her thumb at Raph and Casey who glared at her in response to her words, causing Mikey to chuckle.

"It ain't funny, Chucklehead…!" Raph said firmly with Casey humming angrily in agreement.

"Well, sorry that you two are literally a pair of meatheads…!" Mikey countered back teasingly, causing the two hotheads to look at Mikey with wide eyes and then with an angry glare as they yelled, "Hey!" whilst April, Leo, and Donnie laughed at Mikey's joke.

"Ok, ok…ha, ha…let's settle down now, because lunch is ready…" April announced after she was able to calm herself down from laughing too much before she, with the help of Leo, dished up the skewers and passed them on to each person within the group who all said 'Thank you' once they were given their food.

"Wow, this smells good!" Mikey complimented when he sniffed at the aroma that the warm food was releasing.

"Yeah, let's eat before it gets cold…" Donnie said in agreement before he and the others started to eat their lunch which also included a small bowl of fruit for dessert.

Around half an hour had passed, and everyone was relaxing in their seats to allow their food to settle in their stomachs. Whilst in his own world, Donnie was thinking about what to do for today's activities with Mikey, who was looking up at the sky and watching the small clouds go by before he remembered what he said to Leo yesterday, which was the plan to take Mikey out for a walk in the forest one day during their trip. However, Donnie was unsure if Mikey would be happy to do it with him after what happened last night but it couldn't hurt to ask him, so he turned to look at his little brother and spoke.

"Hey, Mikey? I was wondering…if you would like to join me on a walk through the forest today…"

Mikey looked from the sky to Donnie with a surprised look on his face before he frowned a little and looked down to avoid eye contact with him and everyone else due to feeling a bit nervous about the idea.

"Donnie…maybe we should wait until Mikey is 100% ready to go back into the forest…he's still recovering from last night's events…" Leo said firmly but softly to his purple-banded brother as he felt concerned that Mikey might go into a full-blown panic attack if he went back into the forest whilst still recovering from the near-death experience with the H.A.T.E. group last night.

"Yeah, bro, look at him; he's scared about goin' back there!" Raph said in agreement as he looked from Donnie to Mikey with a concerned look on his face.

"Guys, I know that you're worried about his wellbeing but we don't have long until our camping trip ends…besides, as long as we're with him he'll be ok…" Donnie pointed out defensively.

"Donnie has a point there, guys; we only have the rest of today and tomorrow morning remaining of our trip and then we'll be heading back home in the late afternoon…" April pointed out with a slightly sad tone.

"Ah, man…! Dat's a bummer!" Casey said disappointedly.

"Erm…I-I…" Everyone looked over at Mikey as he tried to speak out despite the nervous tone in his voice.

"It's alright, Mikey…take your time…" Donnie reassured his baby brother gently when he sensed Mikey's uneasiness. Mikey took a moment to recollect himself before he spoke again.

"I-It's not that I don't want to go into the forest, I'd love to go…It's just that…I'm worried that there might be more of those anti-alien goons still hanging around in there…"

The others understood how Mikey felt; the last time he went into the forest was when he was running for dear life to get away from the H.A.T.E. gang who had shot him after he protected April last night, so to go back there again might bring back those horrible memories for the poor turtle. It was then that Donnie moved closer to Mikey and wrapped his arm around his baby brother's shoulders and gave him a gentle sideways hug before he spoke in a reassuring tone.

"Hey…It's ok, Mikey…we know that you were all alone in the forest after that gang shot you and tried to chase after you, but this time is different because we'll all be there with you during our walk in the forest…"

"Dat's right, bro…We won't let anythin' happen ta ya cos we won't leave ya outta our sights!" Raph said in agreement with a look of determination and protectiveness on his face.

"Yes, and we will be ready for anything this time too!" Leo said in support of his brothers' words whilst placing a fist on his chest, with April and Casey nodding in agreement.

Mikey looked from one brother to another with a surprised look on his face before he smiled with a relaxed sigh and said, "Ok…thanks, bros…"

He then returned the sideways hug from Donnie before he lifted his other arm to signal Leo and Raph for a brotherly hug which they accepted greatly, causing April and Casey to smile warmly at the scene in front of them. A moment later, the brothers broke away from the hug and Leo spoke up.

"Alright, everyone…let's go for a walk in the forest!"

"Yeah!" The others cheered to Leo's words before they all followed him as he walked towards the forest entrance.


	15. Part 15-The Forest Revisited

Part 15-The Forest Revisited

The warm sunlight shone through the trees as the group walked through the tranquil forest whilst listening to the birdsong and leafy branches dancing in the wind around them. After another moment of silence, Mikey spoke up in a soft tone.

"Wow…you were right, Don…it _is_ beautiful out here…!"

"See? I knew you'd like it…! A new change in scenery really does help in lifting our spirits up…" Donnie replied with a warm smile as he wrapped his arm around Mikey's shoulders to give him a sideways hug.

"I'll admit dat it is different compared ta da noise in New York, but I can get used ta dis…!" Raph then said as he looked around the forest in front of him.

"Yeah, it does make a nice change from fightin' Purple Dragons and da Foot…" Casey said in agreement whilst walking with April by his side and holding each others' hands. Then, April stopped when she saw something ahead of them.

"Hey, Mikey…Look!" April called out quietly to Mikey as she pointed at something far away in front of her.

With help from Donnie, Mikey slowly walked towards where April was standing and followed the direction to where her finger was pointing. It was then that Mikey's eyes widened in surprise at what he saw; a female deer was grazing on the fresh green grass with her fawn doing the same next to her before the fawn nuzzled his mother's nose as soon as she was finished eating. This caused Mikey and the others to smile at the scene in front of them before he spoke in a whisper.

"Aww…that's so cute!"

He then took his shell cell out from his belt and used its camera to take a picture of the two woodland creatures after he switched the settings to silent mode to avoid scaring them away. Once the picture was taken, everyone around Mikey took a glance at the picture.

"Alright! Nice shot, bro!" Raph said with a smirk.

"Yeah, it's a beautiful photo…" Leo said in agreement as he looked at the photograph in awe.

"I agree, and I'll bet you will produce a great painting from it too, Mikey…!" Donnie said with a warm smile.

"Ha, ha…Thanks, bros…!" Mikey said bashfully as he blushed from the nice compliments that he was receiving from his older brothers.

Suddenly, the two deer looked up when a rustling noise was heard coming from a large bush nearby, causing them to run away quickly.

"W-What's that…?" Mikey said nervously as he was worried about the possibility of more H.A.T.E. gang members secretly hiding within the forest.

"It's ok, Mikey…Stay behind me…" Donnie reassured him firmly but softly before he stood in front of his baby brother.

The others followed Donnie's lead with Casey shielding April before placing his hockey mask onto his face and grabbing his hockey stick from his bag whilst Leo and Raph stood next to Donnie and Casey and prepared their weapons for what might jump out and attack them.

Then, something big and green jumped out of the bush with a roar!

"Whoa! Watch out!" Leo called out before he and the others moved out of the creature's way.

When Mikey looked closer at the creature from a safe distance, his eyes widened; the large creature had green fur and emerald-coloured eyes, which he recognised as the 'Green Man of the woods' that he, Donnie and Casey encountered a few years ago when they first arrived at Casey's farmhouse to help Leo recover from the Shredder's attack.

Mikey was then snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed that Leo and Raph were about to attack the creature.

"Bros, stop! Don't hurt it!" He shouted out, causing the two older brothers to stop in their tracks and look at him with surprised and confused looks on their faces.

"Why d'ya stop us, Mike!?" Raph questioned with an annoyed look.

"Yeah, that thing tried to attack us!" Leo then said firmly in agreement.

"Because, bros…that's the 'Green Man' that me, Donnie and Casey met and helped ages ago…We told you about it, remember?" Mikey answered calmly.

Donnie and Casey looked at Mikey with wide eyes before they looked at the green creature again, and it was then that they realised he was right; it was the same 'Green Man' creature they met when they tried to help it from a monster hunter who tried to capture it in order to prove its existence as part of her documentary show. It also turned out in the end that the 'Green Man' was a female and mother with two little ones.

"Dat's right…it really is her…" Casey said softly in awe when he saw the creature's face.

"_Her…_?" Leo, Raph, and April said in unison with a confused look on their faces.

"Yes, we found out that the 'Green Man' was a 'Green _Woman_' as well as a mother to two younger ones…" Donnie answered with a warm smile before he scanned her whole body with his eyes. "She definitely looks a bit older than the last time we saw her judging by the number of grey hairs on her face and body…"

"Whoa…" Mikey said in a whisper before he decided to slowly walk towards her with the help of Donnie's bo staff alone.

"Hey there, girl…remember me?" He said softly as he slowly moved with his hand stretched out.

"Mikey, be careful…it's been a long time since she last saw you, remember?" Donnie reminded him whilst feeling concerned for his little brother's safety.

"I know…" Mikey replied after turning his head halfway to look at Donnie before he resumed with what he was currently doing.

The green creature began to feel wary and nervous as soon as Mikey got a bit closer to her, so Mikey stopped halfway after sensing her uneasiness before he spoke to her in a gentle tone.

"It's ok…we're friends…we helped save you from that mean hunter a long time ago, remember…?"

The green creature blinked and looked at Mikey when he said those words before she decided to move cautiously towards him. Mikey just stood there quietly with his arm stretched out and his eyes low to avoid scaring the creature away.

Once she was close enough, the green creature looked at Mikey before she sniffed his hand. Once she got his scent, she instantly recognised it and suddenly remembered the orange-banded turtle when he, with the help of Donnie and Casey, saved her and her children from the monster hunter long ago.

With this in mind, the green creature purred with joy and rubbed her head against Mikey's hand to show that she had recognised him, causing Mikey to gasp slightly and smile in relief whilst the others looked on in disbelief.

"Ha, ha! I'm so happy to see you again too!" Mikey said softly but joyfully as he began stroking the creature's fur as she moved around him in delight.

"No way…she remembers him!?" Casey said quietly in astonishment whilst looking at the scene in front of him.

"Well, Mikey has been known to have a way with animals…" Leo said with a warm and amused smile when he saw the surprised look on Casey's face.

"I agree, and it just shows that the bond between them is so strong that even the faintest memory can help them to remember each other…" Donnie said with a warm smile of his own whilst nodding in agreement with Leo's words.

It was then that the green creature had spotted the others and suddenly froze before she began to slightly feel uncomfortable again, which Mikey instantly noticed and spoke in a gentle tone once more.

"Hey, hey…it's ok, girl… they're our friends too…do you remember those two over there…? They helped in protecting you with me…" Mikey slowly pointed at Donnie and Casey as he said the last two sentences, making them nod in agreement with what he said.

With this in mind, Donnie was the first to start moving towards the duo at a very slow pace to reduce the risk of frightening the green creature. A moment later, Casey followed Donnie's lead and slowly made his way towards her.

"Hello, old friend…long time no see…" Donnie spoke out gently towards the green creature as he got closer to her with his hand stretched out in the same way that Mikey did earlier.

The green creature cautiously approached Donnie first and sniffed his outstretched hand. She instantly recognised his scent as well and began rubbing her head against his hand, causing Donnie to smile in relief and happiness.

"Hey, now…don't forget about me…!" Casey said softly and jokingly to the green creature who looked at him curiously before she approached him too.

After taking a good sniff of his scent, the green creature licked his hand and then jumped on him with joy.

"Whoa, hey! Ha, ha! Down, girl, down! Ha, ha ha ha!" Casey said as he was pinned down on the ground whilst being licked to death, causing everyone to watch on and laugh at the sight in front of them.

Then, Mikey heard another rustling sound coming from the same bush where the green creature appeared from, making him and the others feel nervous and cautious again. The green creature sensed their uneasiness instantly and turned away from Casey to make a chirping noise towards the bush.

Not long after doing that, the heads of two identical green creatures appeared from within the bush before they fully walked out from it whilst chirping back to their mother, surprising everyone when they saw them, especially Mikey who looked at the young green duo in surprise and awe.

"No way…" He said quietly in awe.

"Are those…" Casey said as he pointed at the duo.

"Yeah…They're her children…They seemed to have grown a lot since we last saw them…" Donnie answered as a proud smile slowly developed on his face when he saw how big they've grown since he and the others last saw them a few years ago.

The two green youngsters nervously approached Mikey first as their mother gently encouraged them to come closer. Sensing this, Mikey slowly raised his hand as he spoke in a soft gentle tone.

"Hey, there…nice to see you're both doing ok…"

The two young creatures looked at each other and then looked at Mikey again before they approached cautiously since they were still feeling a bit nervous around him. Once they got close enough to their liking, the creatures sniffed Mikey's hand to get his scent.

Then, the creatures purred and did what their mother did earlier which was rubbing their heads against Mikey's hands before they got closer to Mikey and nuzzled him on his body, causing the orange-banded turtle to giggle and smile even more and the others to watch on in awe.

"Aww…That's so sweet…!" April said quietly and softly with both hands placed over her heart.

"Yeah…I never thought that they would recognise Mikey straight away since the last time they met him was when they only saw him from a far distance in the forest…" Donnie explained as he watched his brother continuously petting the young creatures.

Whilst the two children continued to happily greet the two turtles, they noticed the white bandage on Mikey's leg and whimpered with worry for him, which Mikey noticed straight away.

"Hey, don't worry; I'm ok…it's just a little sore, that's all…" He said reassuringly, making the young creatures feel more at ease.

"That's right, some bad people approached us yesterday and they hurt him…but he's doing fine now…" Donnie explained softly, making the green family feel less tense.

The green mother then walked over to Mikey and gently tugged on his mask tails before walking forward a few steps and looking back at him with a purr, as if she was wanting him to follow her somewhere.

"What's she doing?" Leo questioned curiously.

"I think she wants us to follow her somewhere…Not sure where, though…" Mikey theorised.

"Well then, let's follow her and see what she wants to show us…" Leo said with a nod.

After everyone agreed to Leo's words, they followed the green creatures to wherever they were taking them to, which was in the deepest parts of the forest.

/

_Unknown…_

The group soon arrived at an unfamiliar area of the forest, where they came across a wall covered in hanging vines and weeping willow branches.

The green creatures then moved towards it and surprised everyone when they walked through the vines and branches before disappearing, but one of the younger creatures popped its head out and called the others to follow them in.

Everyone looked at each other before they nodded and Mikey slowly took point as they followed the green creatures through the draped plants and into unknown territory.

Once everyone was through and looked on ahead, they froze and their eyes widened in surprise; in front of them was a large garden with a variety of different flowers, a couple of fruit trees and a huge waterfall that poured water down into a wide river which flowed through to the other side of the forest.

"Wow…" They all said in awe.

"It's beautiful…" April then said as she admired the scene in front of her whilst Casey just nodded with a hum since he was too awestruck at the scene to say anything.

"Yeah…I have never seen such a magnificent place that is so full of nature…" Donnie said whilst looking around from where he was standing.

"You're telling me…It's like…a secret paradise…" Leo said contently as he continued to admire the scenery.

"Ya got dat right, bros…" Raph said in agreement.

"So, this is your home?" Mikey asked the green mother softly as he walked a bit closer to her.

The green mother nodded with a purr before she walked over to one of the fruit trees, stood up, and placed her large paws onto the tree. Everyone watched as she shook the tree and over a dozen apples fell from the tree, and then she used her nose to roll one of them towards Mikey who used Donnie's bo staff as he slowly and carefully knelt down to pick it up due to his sore leg.

"For me? Thank you…!" He said with a grateful smile before the younger green creatures followed their mother's lead and rolled apples towards Mikey's brothers, April, and Casey who all picked them up and said 'thank you' to them too.

Mikey then took a small bite out of his apple after giving it a quick wipe to remove any particles of dirt and grass that might be stuck to it. After tasting it, his eyes widened in delight at the sweet flavour and crunchy texture.

"Mmm…This is delicious! You gotta try them, you guys…!" He said happily to the others, who looked at him and then at each other with questionable looks before they each took a small bite out of their own apples.

A moment later, Mikey and the green creatures watched as his brothers, April, and Casey began to make 'Mmm' noises and comments on how tasty the apples were.

"Hey, he's right! These _are_ delicious!" Leo said with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah, these are the sweetest apples that we've ever tasted!" April said in agreement.

"Mmm-hmm, they have the same level of sweetness as Halloween's candy apples!" Donnie said in satisfaction to the apple's flavour.

"Totally agree with ya on dat, Donnie!" Raph said before he continued with eating his apple.

As soon as everyone finished eating their apples, Mikey walked over to the leftover apples on the ground to pick one up before he spoke.

"I think Master Splinter might like one of these apples too…don't you think so, guys?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Mikey!" Leo answered in agreement.

"Agreed…I'm sure that he'll love it since it's both a sweet and healthy treat, and we all know how much our father cares about treating our bodies like temples…" Donnie said with a nod and an amused smile.

Everyone laughed at Donnie's words before Mikey placed the apple in a bag to keep it fresh and in one piece for Master Splinter, and then they followed the green creatures towards a grassy area near the river before they all sat down to enjoy a bit of relaxation from their walk whilst listening to the flowing river and bird songs.

A few minutes later, the sounds of a sleeping turtle were heard and everyone looked to their right to see Mikey fast asleep with his upper body laying on the side of the older green creature who was also taking a nap, causing everyone to smile warmly at the sight.

"Man, he's really out like a light…" Raph said with a warm smirk.

"Yeah, I think walking with an injured leg and being excited from seeing the green creatures again has really taken a lot out of him…" Donnie explained as he watched his immediate little brother sleep with a warm smile of his own.

"You're right, Donnie…even the brightest of lights needs its rest…let's let him sleep and get his strength back…" Leo said in agreement with Donnie's words before he stood up and walked towards the river.

As he got to the edge of the river to admire how clear it was, Raph began to feel mischievous again and slowly started to sneak towards his oldest brother from behind with the others watching nervously and debating whether or not they should warn Leo on what Raph was up to.

However, unbeknownst to Raph, Leo had already sensed a presence coming closer to him so he stayed casual for now by moving his foot around in the water. Once Raph was close enough, Leo turned around and kicked his foot out of the water which caused some of it to splash on his red-banded brother's face.

"Whoa! Hey!" Raph shouted out in surprise before he glared at his brother, who smiled in amusement as he spoke.

"Ha, ha! Got you this time, Raph!"

Donnie, April, and Casey laughed at the scene which caused Raph to feel embarrassed and look at Leo with a ticked-off expression on his face before he charged towards Leo who instantly took off as soon as he saw him coming.

"I'm gonna get ya fa dat, Leo!" Raph shouted out with a hidden smirk of amusement on his face.

"Catch me if you can, hothead!" Leo called back with a cheeky smile.

Donnie, April, and Casey laughed as they watched the two older turtles run around like crazy, but not too loudly since Mikey was still asleep.

Sometime later, Leo and Raph had stopped their chase and were now chilling and chatting to one another on the grass with Casey and the mother green creature, whilst Mikey had awakened from his nap and had joined Donnie and April in an exploration of the area itself with the younger green creatures.

Then, Leo looked up at the sky when he noticed the colour had changed from sky blue to warm orange, meaning that the sun was starting to go down.

"Looks like it's starting to get late…we should get ready to go back to our campsite..." He said as he looked back at Raph and Casey, who both looked at the sky to see for themselves.

"Ya right, bro…we should let the others know that too…" Raph said with a nod before he, Leo, and Casey looked over to where the river was to see Donnie, Mikey, and April walking towards them with the younger green creatures next to them.

"Ah, perfect timin'!" Casey commented with a smirk before he watched as Leo stood up and took a few steps forward to Mikey's group when they got closer to him and spoke.

"Hey, guys, it's time for us to go back to our campsite now…"

"Aww, already…?" Mikey said in shock and disappointment when he heard that it was time to leave.

"Sorry, bro…but da sun's goin' down so we have ta go back before it gets dark…" Raph said with a sad smile as he got closer to Mikey's group.

"Hmm, you're right; the sky is starting to get darker…let's start making a move back to our camp whilst there is still light out…" Donnie said as he looked up at the sky to see for himself that the sun was slowly starting to set, making everyone nod sadly in agreement.

Sensing that their friends were about to leave, the green creature trio gathered around and looked at them with sad looks on their faces.

"Oh, come on, you guys…don't look at us like that…! You're gonna…make me…cry…" Mikey said before he choked a sob and covered his eyes with one hand to hide his developing tears from everyone.

"I'm sorry…I wish we could stay here a bit longer, but we can't…it's too dangerous to be out in the woods at night…" Leo said with a sad smile as he wrapped an arm around his baby brother's shoulders to give him a comforting sideways hug.

"He's right; if it gets dark before we get back to our campsite, there is a chance that we might get ambushed unexpectedly from the shadows by unknown enemies…" Donnie explained.

"Yes, and besides…we need to keep you and this beautiful place a secret from anyone who might be living near the forest…" April said in agreement.

Knowing that they couldn't change their friends' minds, the green creatures looked at each other and then looked back at the group to give them a nod in understanding, much to everyone's relief.

"And, hey…dis ain't goodbye forever…! We'll be back again ta visit sometime…" Casey piped up in a more cheerful mood.

"Heh, never thought I'd say dis…but ya right, bonehead…" Raph said with a cheeky smirk.

"Hey! I can be right, sometimes…!" Casey countered back with a glare, causing everyone to laugh at the scene, especially Mikey who started to feel a little better after realising that they will get to see the green creatures again in the future.

"Are you alright, Mikey?" Leo asked softly after noticing that Mikey had stopped crying a moment ago.

"Y-Yeah…" Mikey answered with a sniffle before he slowly walked over to the green creatures and placed a hand on the side of the mother creature's face as he spoke.

"I'm really happy to have seen you guys again…We'll all get together again the next time we come here…so, don't worry, ok?"

The green creatures cooed in response to Mikey's words and the mother purred as she affectionately rubbed her face against Mikey's hand, and the younger creatures then began to give Mikey some affection by rubbing their bodies against his own whilst minding his injured leg.

"Aww...That's so sweet...!" April said when she felt a warm feeling in her heart whilst watching the scene in front of her, with the others humming in agreement next to her.

A minute later, Mikey looked at the others and signalled them a nod to say that he was ready to go, so Leo led the group towards him before they all headed for the exit. The green creature family followed them from behind until they reached the opening, where Mikey turned around to look at them one more time and spoke.

"Goodbye, green dudes…We'll see you around…"

"Yeah, take care of yourselves…" Leo said next before the others said their farewells afterward.

The green creature family nodded in understanding with a purr before they watched as Mikey, his brothers and human friends waved goodbye before they exited the secret paradise through the curtain of vines and disappeared into the forest to head back to their camp.

_/_

_15 minutes later…_

The group was able to return to their campsite without running into any problems just as the sun had completely set and the stars were starting to appear in the sky.

However, Mikey had to be carried bridal-style by Raph halfway during their walk through the forest, because Mikey stopped walking due to a shooting pain that he suddenly felt in his injured leg, which could only mean that the pain medication had worn off.

As soon as they reached their camp, Raph lowered his brother down on one of the camping chairs and stood aside to allow Donnie to assess the wound for any changes.

"Thanks, Raph…" Mikey said to Raph as he looked at him with a pained but grateful smile.

"No problem, bro…we can't have ya walkin' on a bad leg now, can we?" Raph replied with a nod and a slightly concerned look on his face when he saw the pain in his baby brother's face.

"How does it look, Donnie?" Leo asked in his worried-big-brother voice as he observed Donnie who was still checking Mikey's leg.

"He's going to be fine, Leo…the stitches are still holding the wound together nicely and there are no signs of infection so far…" Donnie answered reassuringly to his oldest brother whilst double-checking the wound before he looked up to Mikey to speak to him next.

"How's the pain right now, Mikey? And be honest with your answer, please…"

Donnie had to be slightly firmer with his words on the last sentence because he and his older brothers knew how hard Mikey would try to keep most of his pain hidden from them whenever he had a serious injury.

"Well, it hurts more when I walk on it, but it's gone from that to a little sore now cos I'm sitting down…" Mikey explained as best as he could without making eye contact

"Ok, Mikey…I'll give you some more painkillers before we go to bed after we have finished dinner…"

"Speakin' of which, what are we havin' fa dinner tonight again?" Raph asked with arms crossed.

"We can have either burgers or hotdogs…It's up to you, guys…" April answered as she looked through the food box.

"I vote fa da burgers!" Casey said instantly with a hand up in the air.

"Me, too!" Raph then said in agreement with Casey's choice.

"Sounds good, you ok with that, Leo?" Donnie said.

"It's fine by me…how about you, Mikey?" Leo replied in agreement before he looked at Mikey as he said the last part.

"Yeah, definitely!" Mikey answered beamingly.

"Ok, burgers it is!" April said before she got the pack of burgers out of the food box and put them on the camping grill.

"Oh, and one more thing…" April then said as she suddenly remembered something that she and the others were planning to do after dinner. She reached into the food box again and lifted a big bag of…

"Marshmallows!" Everyone cheered when they saw what was in the bag.

"That's right…! We can have them for dessert after dinner!" April answered with a big smile on her face before she put the bag back into the food box and resumed on the task of cooking the burgers.

"I'll help prepare the burger buns for you, April…" Leo offered as he walked over to the food box and took out the pack of burger buns to start cutting them in half.

Around 10 minutes went by and the burgers were ready to be transferred onto the burger buns and ready to be eaten. April and Leo passed everyone a plate with one burger each and a side of sliced cheese as an optional topping, and then they all began to eat their meals.

"Mmmm…dis is so good!" Raph said in satisfaction before he took another bite of his burger.

"Yeah! Great job, April!" Casey said in agreement as he gave his wife a grateful smile before he too took another bite from his own burger.

"Thanks, guys…!" April replied happily, and she was about to take another bite out of her own burger when she noticed that Mikey was slowly eating his whilst wearing a zoned-out look on his face.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" She asked gently to avoid startling the orange-banded turtle.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, April…Did you ask me something?" Mikey said after he snapped out of his thoughts.

"You looked deep in thought a second ago, Mikey…Are you ok?" April said with slight concern in her voice, causing the others to look at Mikey in concern as well.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine and the burger's great…It's just…it's hard to believe that we saw the green creatures again after so long…" Mikey answered with a small smile.

"Yeah, and they've grown and changed a lot since we first met them…" Casey replied in agreement.

"I hear you…I have always wondered how they were doing since we last saw them in the forest after we first arrived here when Leo got-"

"Err, let's not go too deep into that memory, Donnie…I wanna try and keep things positive and not remind ourselves of…you know…" Mikey immediately cut Donnie off as soon as he was about to mention Leo's fight for his life after he got badly hurt by the Shredder and the Foot clan.

"Hey, it's fine, Mikey…I've moved on from that near-death experience, and the Shredder is not around anymore…so, don't worry about it, ok…?" Leo said reassuringly before he took another sip of his drink.

Mikey said nothing and just hummed and nodded to say that he wouldn't worry anymore, and then he heard April speak as he took another bite of his burger.

"I still can't believe the secret forest garden that the creatures guided us to…It was incredible!"

"Yeah, and those apples dat they gave us were really tasty!" Casey said as he thought about the apples that the green creatures gave the group.

"You do know that we have to keep that place a secret from now on…" Donnie reminded in a serious tone.

"We know, Donnie…we won't tell anyone about it…we made a promise, remember?" Leo replied in a similar tone.

"Ah, don't get your mask tails in a twist over dis, cos we know what we're doin'…!" Raph stated firmly to the two brothers, surprising them as a result.

"Yeah…You're right, Raph…Sorry for not believing in all of us…" Donnie said with a sheepish smile.

"It's all good, Donnie…! Now, how about we get started with roasting some marshmallows, eh?" Mikey said with an excited smile after finishing the rest of his burger.

"Ha, ha…sure, Mikey, but let's wait until everyone else has finished their food before we do that, ok?" April said softly.

"Oh, right! Heh, heh…sorry…" Mikey replied apologetically, which everyone responded to by giggling softly and Raph giving him a gently noogie on his head.

Mikey didn't have to wait long, however, because the others had finished eating their burgers a few minutes later and they were now ready for dessert; the roasted marshmallows.

The campfire was made after Leo and Raph gathered some firewood from the collected pile and Donnie lit it using a match whilst Mikey helped April and Casey with putting the marshmallows onto the skewer sticks.

Soon, everything was ready for marshmallow-roasting and everyone took their seats before Casey walked over to give them a skewer with two big marshmallows each for the first round.

"Alright, everyone, let's get started!" April announced as a signal to start the marshmallow-roasting.

"Yeah!" The boys cheered to April's words before they hovered their marshmallows over the warm burning fire and waited until they had changed from white to a golden brown colour.

/

_A couple of minutes later…_

"Mmmm, Mmm! Ya gotta admit; marshmallows taste even better when they're fired up!" Casey said in satisfaction as he took another bite of his now mushy and warm marshmallows.

"Totally!" Mikey replied in agreement before he took another bite of his marshmallows, which caused a sticky mess around his mouth.

"Careful, Mikey…! You're going to make a mess, and we don't want your jacket to get ruined now, do we!?" Donnie said firmly but softly as he handed Mikey a napkin to wipe the gooey mess off his mouth.

"Err, right…heh, heh…Sorry…" Mikey replied sheepishly before he took the napkin and wiped his face clean before it could get onto his jacket.

"Hey, go easy on him, Donnie…!" Casey said with a firm look on his face.

"Yeah, he's just enjoyin' somethin' dat he wasn't able ta do since day one of our campin' trip! Besides, he knows what he's doin' cos he's a big boy too, ya know…!" Raph said firmly in agreement.

"I know, I know…" Donnie said in an almost defeated tone.

"Guys, calm down! It's fine…This is our last night of camping together, so please don't start fighting over something minor…!" Mikey said firmly but softly to try and keep a fight from breaking out.

Everyone froze and looked at Mikey with stunned looks on their faces before Raph, Donnie, and Casey lowered their heads down in shame.

"Ah, geez…sorry, bro…", "Yeah…sorry, man…" Raph and Casey apologised whilst looking at Mikey sadly.

"I'm sorry too, Mikey…I never should have gotten so paranoid over something so ridiculous…" Donnie apologised next as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, guys…! All that matters is that we've learned from our mistakes and then carry on having fun afterward…" Mikey replied with a warm smile.

"Those are wise words, Mikey…" Leo said proudly with a nod.

"That's right, so let's continue with the roasting of our marshmallows and enjoy the rest of our last night of camping together!" April said as she raised her marshmallow skewer into the air.

"Here, here!" The boys cheered in agreement as they too raised their marshmallow skewers into the air before they carried on roasting and eating them with sunnier looks on their faces.

_/_

_20 minutes later…_

Everyone had finished their yummy marshmallow dessert and they were now relaxing in their chairs to allow their stomachs to settle. Mikey, on the other hand, was starting to fall asleep in his chair since his exciting time in the forest whilst walking on an injured leg has really worn him out.

"Mikey, ya doin' ok over there?" Raph asked after noticing that his baby brother was drifting off.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…m'fine…" Mikey answered tiredly before letting out a yawn.

"Mmm, I think it's bedtime for you, little brother…" Leo said with a warm smile after seeing how tired Mikey looked.

"Well, I don't blame him for being so sleepy; seeing our old friends in the forest again whilst walking with a bullet wound can really make you tired…" Donnie explained before he too let out a yawn, stood up from his chair, and walked over to Mikey as he spoke again.

"Come on, Mikey…Let's go to bed…"

"Mmm…" Mikey answered with a tired hum before Donnie helped him stand back up.

"Goodnight, you two…!" April and Casey said softly as they waved goodnight to the two younger turtles.

"Goodnight, Mikey! Goodnight, Donnie!" Leo said called out softly.

"Yeah, see ya in da mornin', bros…" Raph then said with a soft smirk.

"G'night…!" Donnie and Mikey replied in unison before they made their way towards their tent to head for bed.

"Well, I think we should call it a night, too…" Leo said as he got up and stretched his tired body.

"Yeah, our last sleep at camp…Can't believe how fast dis trip has gone…" Casey said with a slightly sad tone in his voice as he too got up from his seat.

"I know…but don't worry; we're definitely doing this again in the near future…!" April reassured her husband as she wrapped her arms around his muscly arm.

The others nodded in agreement to that as Casey put out the fire before they all walked towards their respective tents, said goodnight to each other, and went inside to sleep.


End file.
